After entering the USTA/ITA Midwest Regional Championships as an underdog, junior Britney Sanders fell in the singles final to No. 12 Kate Turvy of Northwestern 6-4, 0-6, 6-4.
Sanders, who entered the tournament as the No. 98-ranked singles player, was not expected to be as successful as she was. Nevertheless, Sanders battled her way into the finals. She managed to stay in the match with Turvy, claiming every game in the second set and falling by only two games in the other sets.
"I am happy with my performance this week," Sanders said. "Every match I feel like I got better and better. I still have a lot to improve on, but I think this was a good tournament for me."
This match marked Sanders' first singles loss of the fall season. Sanders said she still has a few things to work on going into the remainder of the fall season.
"I have an aggressive game style," Sanders said. "I like to hit a lot of winners but sometimes I go for too much and end up missing. I need to learn to stay patient and attack when the time is right."
Sanders said she believes her success this week will allow her to be a better leader to the less experienced girls throughout the season.
"I hope my success this tournament gives my teammates more confidence," Sanders said. "I was an underdog and I made it to the finals. I hope it shows them that it doesn't matter who their opponent is, as long as they work hard and fight for every match they can win."
Due to her success in this tournament, Sanders will be eligible for a bid in the USTA/ITA Indoor Championships on Nov. 8th.
The Irish will be in action as once more Nov. 9th as the team divides, sending some to the Lakewood Ranch Invitational and the Western Michigan Invitational.
Contact Katie Heit at kheit@nd.edu
