The Eastern women’s tennis team had four players compete in the USTA/ITA Midwest regional during the weekend to finish off its fall season where its faced their toughest competition yet.

The tournament, hosted by University of Illinois, consisted of a singles and a doubles tournament. The tournament started on Friday and goes until Tuesday with the finals on the last day.

The tournament consisted of a 48-player qualifying singles draw, with players advancing to the main draw. Doubles consisted of 48 of the region’s top duos.

The players will be playing for a spot to play in prestigious USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, which takes place Nov. 6-9 at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, N.Y.

Competing for the Panthers over were freshmen Grace Summers, senior Sephora Boulbahaiem and juniors Hannah Kimbrough and Ali Foster.

Summers and Boulbahiem competed in both singles and doubles, while Kimbrough and Foster only played in doubles.

In the first round of qualifying singles Summers and Boulbahiem won their matches. Summers won her match against Sorokina form IPFW in straight sets 6-3 and 6-3, sending her to the second round. Boulbahiem also won her match in straight sets 6-3 and 6-3, defeating Manole of Illinois-Chicago, which was enough to advance her to the second round.

Despite first round victories, both Summers and Boulbahiem lost their second round matches and be elimanted.

Summers would lose to Rebeca Mitrea of DePaul in three sets 1-6, 7-5 and 5-7. Boulbahiem would later lose to Allison Miller of Notre Dame 1-6 and 4-6.

Saturday marked the start of the doubles portion of the tournament.

The duo of Summers and Boulbahiem faced off against Yuliya Shupenia and Mitrea of DePaul, while Kimbrough and Foster took on Karolina Maksimova and Martina Zerbola of Akron.

Both pairings lost their matches. Summers and Boulbahiem lost 8-6. Foster and Kimbrough also lost 8-6.

This was the last live action the women will see until the regular season in the spring.

Sean Hastings can be reached at 581-2812 or [email protected].