The Illinois women’s tennis team showcased its young talent this weekend as it concluded play at the 2007 Intercollegiate Tennis Association Midwest Regionals in Ann Arbor, Mich. The Illini failed to qualify any women for the ITA National Indoor Championships, but they certainly put up a fight.

“Overall, I think it was a start but not something we are satisfied with,” head coach Michelle Dasso said.

Freshman Marisa Lambropoulos and sophomore Kristina Minor revealed a promising future for the team, as they made it through three rounds in the singles qualifying bracket to earn spots in the main draw of 64 women.

Minor lost in the first round of the main draw 7-5, 6-4, while Lambropoulos won her first match and then lost her second 6-1, 6-4.

“I was really proud of Marisa, but she lost to an opponent that has a little more experience under her belt,” Dasso said.

Redshirt sophomore Leigh Finnegan was forced to retire from her first round singles qualifying match due to a leg injury.

“That was the biggest disappointment of the weekend,” Dasso said.

Meanwhile, senior Momei Qu, junior Shivani Dave and sophomore Megan Fudge were already qualified for the main draw. Dave did not make it past the first round, while Qu and Fudge both lost in the second round.

Although Fudge did not fare as well as she did in last year’s Regionals, Dasso said she was very proud of how she composed herself.

“The girl she lost to played out of her mind,” Dasso said.

In doubles play, two tandems made it past the first round. Fudge and Finnegan and Lambropoulos and freshman Annie McCarthy won their first matches in the main draw, but then they lost in the subsequent round.

Dasso said the key to those losses was simply fundamentals.

The Illini will return to action at the Harvard Invitational on Nov. 2 in Boston where they will compete in their final fall tournament.