New Mexico's Maja Kovacek wins opening match at NCAA Singles Championship

Kovacek advances to second round Tuesday, doubles also begins Tuesday

New Mexico's Maja Kovacek won her first-round match at the NCAA Singles Championship
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May 23, 2005

ATHENS, GA. -¬ New Mexico's Maja Kovacek defeated Iryna Tkachenko of Oklahoma State, 6-3, 7-5, in the first round of the NCAA Women's Singles Championship at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga., Monday morning.

With the victory, Kovacek moves on to tomorrow's second round and will play the winner of the match between No. 9-16 seed Story Tweedie Yates of TCU and USC's Anca Anastasiu, which is scheduled for today at 1:30 p.m., ET.

UNLV's Elena Gantcheva was also selected for the singles championship but was forced to withdraw due to injury.

In the doubles championship that begins tomorrow, Kovacek and partner Iva Gersic will face the No. 4 seed from UCLA, Daniela Bercek and Riza Zalameda, at 3 p.m., ET. The NCAA Women's Singles and Doubles Championships run through Saturday, May 28. The men's singles championship will begin Wednesday, while doubles gets underway on Thursday at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station, Texas. Air Force's Shannon Buck and UNLV's Henner Nehles are entered in the men's singles draw. New Mexico's Ryan Stotland and David Kowalski are entered in the doubles championship.