Hogs to compete in Oklahoma

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Seven members of the University of Arkansas women’s tennis team will begin play Thursday in the main draw of the Wilson/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women’s Central Region Championships at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, Okla.

Anouk Tigu, Emily Carbone, Kate Lukomskaya, Claudine Paulson, Kelsey Sundaram and Valentina Starkova each received automatic bids into the main draw.

Freshman Annemjin Koenen advanced out of Wednesday’s qualifying rounds with a 5-7, 6-1, 10-7 victory over Southern Illinois’ Michela Cruise. She is one of eight individuals from the qualifying rounds to advance to the main draw.

"This is our favorite tournament of the fall," Arkansas coach Michael Hegarty said. "The competition really gives us a window into the spring season. It also gives us plenty of things to train on in order to prepare for the spring."

Hosted by the University of Oklahoma, the event features the top players from over 20 Divison I schools, including six teams that finished in the ITA top 75 in 2008-2009.

Main draw competition will begin Thursday at 9 a.m. Central time, with the first two rounds of doubles and singles. The doubles and singles finals will be held on Sunday.

Sunday’s singles finalists and doubles champion will earn spots in the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, Nov. 5-8, hosted by the Yale University in New Haven, CT.