Michelle Kollarova

BUFFALO, NY - The opening day of the Can-Am Invitational Tournament saw the University at Buffalo's women's tennis team advance four singles players to the semifinal round.

Freshman Katrin Fischer (Ternitz, Austria/Borg), juniors Michelle Kollarova (Bratislava, Slovak Republic/Sport Gymnasium) and Erica Zielinski (North Tonawanda, NY/North Tonawanda) and senior Lisa Wittman (Cheektowaga, NY/Cheektowaga) advanced with two wins apiece in the singles flight matches on Friday.

Lisa Wittman

Fischer defeated Montreal's Karine Mercier, 6-3, 6-1 and then knocked off York's Helena Vander, 6-4, 6-0 in the A flight matches.

In the B flight, Kollarova easily handled Montreal's Marie-Claude Joly, 6-2, 6-1, and York's Miren Iribarren, 6-2, 6-0. Zielinski knocked off York's Claire Shanahan, 6-0, 6-2, and needed three sets to down Niagara's Kendra Daigler, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 to move to the third round. Wittman, who will face Kollarova in one B flight semifinal, had little trouble with Maude Page of Montreal, 6-2, 6-1, and then downed Niagara's Julianne Prokopich, 6-3, 6-4.

Erica Zielinski

UB's other A flight entrants freshman Miglena Nenova (Rousse, Bulgaria/Eurointellect) and sophomore Kristen Ortman (Amherst, NY/Amherst) won their first round matches, but were knocked off in the second round. Nenova defeated Natalia Kimberg of York, 6-4, 6-3, but fell to Niagara's Melina Matijevic, 7-6 (4), 6-3. Ortman rolled to a 6-1, 6-2 opening round win over Montreal's Marie-Andree Vigneault, but lost a grueling three-set battle with Niagara's Mariam Al-Shakarchy, 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-4, in the second round.

Ortman and Nenova moved to the second round of the A flight doubles with a "double-bagel" 6-0, 6-0 win over Montreal's Karine Touzin and Zara Villani. UB's other doubles combos, Sherri Ugowski (Orchard Park, NY/Orchard Park) and Onessa Williams (Albany, NY/Albany) and Wittman and Zielinski were knocked off in their first round matches in three sets apiece.

Play continues Saturday at 9 am at the UB Tennis Complex with the finals taking place at Niagara University on Sunday.

Buffalo/Niagara Can-Am Tennis Tournament

Women's results

Teams: Buffalo (UB), Niagara (NU), Montreal (UM), Wilfrid Laurier (WL), Toronto (UT), York (YU), McMaster (MC)

A Singles first round: Katrin Fischer (UB) d. Karine Mercier (UM), 6-3, 6-1. Helena Vander (YU) d. Lauren Eudoxie (WL), 6-1, 6-0. Mariam Al-Shakarchy (NU) d. Mary Mattchouk (UT), 6-2, 6-4. Kristen Ortman (UB) d. Marie-Andree Vigneault (UM), 6-1, 6-2. Miglena Nenova (UB) d. Natalia Kimberg (YU), 6-4, 6-3. Melina Matijevic (NU) d. Stephanie Riopelle (MC), 6-0, 6-0. Kasia Poplowski (WL) d. Anne DeNure (MC), 6-1, 6-0. Aditi Krishnan (NU) d. Karisa Avramenko (UT), score unavailable.

Second round: Fischer (UB) d. Vander (YU), 6-4, 6-0. Al-Shakarchy (NU) d. Ortman (UB) 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-4. Matijevic (NU) d. Nenova (UB), 7-6 (4), 6-3. Krishnan (NU) d. Poplowski (WL), 6-2, 6-1.

Second round consolations: Mercier (UM) d. Eudoxie (WL), 7-6, 6-2. Mattchouck (UT) d. Vigneault (UM), 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4.

B Singles first round: Michelle Kollarova (UB) d. Marie-Claude Joly (UM), 6-2, 6-1. Miren Iribarren (YU) d. Lisa Morris (WL), 6-3, 6-0. Julianne Prokopich (NU) d. Kristina Dundas (UT), 6-2, 6-1. Lisa Wittman (UB) d. Maude Page (UM), 6-2, 6-1. Erica Zielinski (UB) d. Claire Shanahan (YU) 6-0, 6-2. Kendra Daigler (NU) d. Sima Acharya (MC), 6-0, 6-1. Maya Farha (MC) d. Kristin Sinclair (WL), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2. Qiuyan Tian (UT) d. Jacquelyn Cary (NU), 0-6, 7-6 (5), 6-2.

Second round: Kollarova (UB) d. Iribarren (YU), 6-2, 6-0. Wittman (UB) d. Propkopich (NU), 6-3, 6-4. Zielinski (UB) d. Daigler (NU), 6-4, 2-6, 6-1. Tian (UT) d. Farha (MC), 6-0, 6-1.

Second round consolations: Joly (UM) d. Morris (WL), 6-1, 6-1. Page (UM) d. Dundas (UT), 7-6, 6-1.

A Doubles first round: Isabelle Chrun/Catherine Ouiment (UM) d. Sherri Ugowski/Onessa Williams (UB), 6-7, 7-5, 6-2. Michelle Chan/Sarah Weiss (WL) won by default over York. Rosie Bell/Teresa Schirripa (UT) d. Kristin Christopher/Rachel Lesniewski (NU), 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. Kristen Ortman/Miglena Nenova (UB) d. Karine Touzin/Zara Villani (UM), 6-0, 6-0. Natash/Miren Iribarren (YU) d. Lisa Wittman/Erica Zielinski (UB), 2-6, 6-2, 6-1. Kendra Daigler/Jacquelyn Cary (NU) d. Linda To/Caryn Small (MC), 6-0, 6-2. Kasia Poplowski/Tiffany Shiu (WL) d. Sarah Chezick/Robyn McKenzie (MC), 6-3, 6-2. Trisha Kano/Qiuyan Tian (UT) d. Julianne Prokopich/Kristin Macinernery (NU), 6-2, 6-2.

Second round: Chan/Weiss (WL) d. Chrun/Ouiment (UM), 6-1, 6-1. Natash/Iribarren (YU) d. Daigler/Cary (NU), 6-2, 6-1.

Second round consolation: Ugowski/Williams (UB) won by default over York.