The Illinois women’s tennis team is set to compete against the best in the Midwest on Thursday, as it begins action at the 2007 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regional Championships. The regionals will take place in Ann Arbor, Mich., where qualifying rounds will run through Friday, and the main draw will continue through Tuesday.

“This tournament is a chance for us to show the rest of the region what Illinois tennis is all about,” head coach Michelle Dasso said in a press release.

For the Illini, senior Momei Qu, junior Shivani Dave and sophomore Megan Fudge are already qualified for the singles main draw. Fudge hopes to continue her success from last year when she went 7-1 to advance to the singles semifinals.

Meanwhile, sophomores Leigh Finnegan and Kristina Minor and freshmen Candy Graetz, Marisa Lambropoulos and Annie McCarthy will compete in the singles qualifying bracket. Lambropoulos is the No. 1 seed in a qualifying bracket of 64 women.

In doubles, three different pairs will represent the Illini. Finnegan will team up with Fudge, McCarthy will play with Lambropoulos and Graetz will share the court with Minor.

Dasso said she has confidence in every woman on the team.

“In the year-plus I have been here as the head coach at Illinois, this is the most prepared I have felt my team has been for a tournament,” she said.

The Midwest regional tournament is one of 17 regional championships taking place over the next week. The singles finalists and doubles champion from each region will compete in the 2007 ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio, from Nov. 1-4.

Lambropoulos and McCarthy will kick off match play at 9 a.m.