Wayne State University Athletics

Shane O'Donnell - Tiffin

Women's Tennis 9/17/2024 12:45:00 PM Henry Coyle, Sports Information Graduate Assistant

Women's Tennis Wraps up Play at ITA Regional Championships

It was an all-Wayne State doubles final.

ALLENDALE, Mich. -- The Wayne State University women's tennis team concluded the final day of the ITA Regional Championships on Monday, September 16.

Going into Monday, the Warriors had a 10-2 record in singles and an impressive 6-0 record on the doubles side. Junior Martyna Szpakowska (Gdansk, Poland) and senior Anais Ruyssen (Nantes, France) competed in the Flight A singles semifinals. Ruyssen would be defeated by Anamarija Kovacevic (Findlay) 6-3, 6-4, while Szpakowska would fall to the eventual champion Tyffaine Pais (Indianapolis) 3-6, 6-0, 6-2.

It was all Green and Gold on the doubles side, as Malak Arafat (Alexandria, Egypt) and Martyna Szpakowska prevailed against Emily Barrett and Jemimah Choi (Tiffin) 8-4. Joining Szpakowska and Arafat in the finals were Dea Gorgidze (Tbilisi, Georgia) and Anais Ruyssen. Gorgidze and Ruyssen claimed victory over Paula Ballesteros and Defne Ursane (Southwest Baptist) 9-7. The two Warriors pairs would face off in a very competitive final match, with Arafat and Szpakowska defeating Gorgidze and Ruyssen 2-6, 6-3, 11-9. With the win, Szpakowska and Arafat have secured a spot in the ITA Cup.

This marks the first time since 2009 that a Warrior doubles team has won the ITA Regional Championships and the third time in program history. In 2002, Hall of Fame inductee Natalya Natyshak and Leila Armin were the first tandem to win the ITA Regionals, while Hall of Fame inductee Sharon Gill and Milena Vuksanovic won the 2009 Regional championship.

Wayne State has now been represented four times in the ITA Cup, with the most recent appearance coming in 2023 as Ruyssen and her partner Marta Komar received an at-large bid.

FROM HEAD COACH YAHSHA MOORE
"I'm very proud of how the girls were able to show up and compete this weekend. Playing 3 to 4 matches a day is really tough, but they were able to stay focused. The girls playing each other in the finals is a bittersweet situation because it's always tough when your opponent is your teammate, but they all played their hearts out. I'm excited to see what's next for them."

UP NEXT
The women's tennis team will travel to Ypsilanti, Mich., on September 20 to compete in the EMU Fall Invitational.

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Players Mentioned

Marta Komar: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Malak Arafat: 5' 11"; Junior

Dea Gorgidze: 5' 7"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen: 5' 9"; Graduate Student

Martyna Szpakowska: 5' 8"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Marta Komar
: 5' 9"; Redshirt Junior

Malak Arafat
: 5' 11"; Junior

Dea Gorgidze
: 5' 7"; Redshirt Junior

Anais Ruyssen
: 5' 9"; Graduate Student

Martyna Szpakowska
: 5' 8"; Junior