Mississippi State
NCAA Individual Championships
State's Banikova Rallies To Advance In NCAA Singles Championship
May 23, 2007 | Women's Tennis
Banikova, ranked 46th in the country, now advances to face 12th-ranked Zsuzsanna Fodor of Cal, a 9-16 seed and former Lady Bulldog, on Thursday at 9 a.m. CT in the second round.
After dropping the first five games of the first set Wednesday, Banikova fought back to win the next three games. However, Milewski would close Banikova out, winning the first set 6-3. In the second set, Banikova took control, winning 6-1 to force a decisive third set.
Much like the first set, Milewski quickly jumped to an early 4-1, two-break lead. Trailing 5-2, Banikova then made a furious comeback, reeling off five consecutive games to earn the win.
"We were very proud of the way Martina hung in there today," MSU head coach Tracy Lane said. "She didn't play her best tennis all the way through the match, but was still able to fight back and get this one. It was a great effort."
With Wednesday's victory, Banikova became just the second MSU women's player ever, joining Fodor, to reach the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship.
Players Mentioned
