ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Kate Duong and Megan Heuser concluded Illinois’ action at the ITA Midwest Regionals on Monday with a win in the doubles finals. The Illini duo racked up five of Illinois’ 15 wins across regional play. Heuser and Kasia Treiber – the longest standing Illini in the event – advanced to the round of 16 on the singles side before being eliminated.
Working chronologically, Kida Ferrari and Emily Casati opened regional play for Illinois on Thursday with wins in the singles qualifying draw. Casati would win her next match in comeback fashion to earn a spot in the main draw event starting on Friday.
Six Illini were in singles action on Friday in the regional main draw with all seven healthy athletes competing across singles and doubles. Heuser, Treiber and Josie Frazier all picked up round of 64 victories to advance into Saturday’s competition. Heuser and Treiber earned round of 32 wins to open play on Saturday. Heuser’s victory came over No. 82 Julia Andreach of Notre Dame for a ranked win.
In the run to their championship, Duong and Heuser opened the event with a round of 64 bye before downing a duo from Toledo, 6-1, in the round of 32 on Friday. Saturday saw the Illini team pick up an 8-3 win over a Marquette duo in the round of 16. On Sunday, Duong and Heuser earned a quarterfinal win over Michigan’s tandem (8-2) before downing a Northwestern duo in the semifinals (8-4). Monday’s championship pitted the Illini team against another Michigan pair who the Orange and Blue took down 8-6.
Duong and Heuser became the first Illini tandem to earn a spot in the regional championship since Melissa Kopinski and Rachael White won the 2012 event. A decade earlier, Jennifer McGaffigan and Cynthya Goulet became the first Illinois women’s doubles team to win a regional title. The 2022, 2012 and 2002 duos are the only Illini to win regional doubles championships in program history.
COMPLETE RESULTS
THURSDAY, OCT. 20
SINGLES QUALIFYING DRAW
Kida Ferrari def. Mayya Perova (DePaul) – 6-2, 7-6 (8)
Emily Casati def. Katarina Dukic (Chicago State) – 5-7, 6-3, 6-4
Maria Olivia Castedo (Notre Dame) def. Kida Ferrari – 6-4, 7-5
Emily Casati def. Sloane Teske (Toledo) – 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 // Advanced to Singles Main Draw
FRIDAY, OCT. 21
SINGLES MAIN DRAW
Megan Heuser def. Charmaine Seah (Wisconsin) – 5-7,…
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