Oct. 25, 2002

Siena's #2 ranked player, Denisa Hluchova, trailing 6-1, 4-1 reeled off 3 straight games to get to 5-4 in the second set before succumbing to Brown University's Rachel Williams in the opening round of the Intercollegiate Teannis Association East Regional Championship Qualifiers today at the Murr Tennis Center on the campus of Harvard University.

Hluchova, who was troubled by unforced errors throughout the first set and early into the second, got her act together in the latter stages of the second set, but it was too late. Up until the 5th game of the final set, Hluchova continually put the ball in the bottom of the net, allowing her opponent to build a comfortable 6-1, 4-0 lead. In the fifth game, the Slovakia native started to find the range with crisp groundstroke winners to gain a 40-15 advantage. That advantage got smaller on the next point as her opponent drove a clean forehand winner down the line to get to 30-40. On the seventh point, Hluchova missed an overhead into the net and the score went to duece.

After saving one game point, Hluchova found herself again at game point. This time she rifled a return of serve that jammed Williams who returned it into the top of the net. The topspin caused the ball to dribble over the net for a winner and Denisa found herself down 5-1 instead of back at deuce. Hluchova continued to press forward taking the next two games to get to 5-4 before Williams was able to close her out in the 10th game for the straight set win.

"Denisa never gave up," Siena Head Coach Jeff Bloomberg said after the match. "Her ground strokes were going into the net throughout the first set an a half. She made the necessary adjustments and came back in the second set. It was a good match for her. She learned a lot today about herself and what she needs to do to beat a player of William's caliber. I'm sure she'll put today's lesson to good use in her future matches."

Tomorrow, Hluchova will team up with Siena's top player, Nikki Mayer in the doubles main draw. Mayer will also be in action in the singles competition.