May 19, 2009

DALLAS (SMU) - SMU freshmen tennis standouts Marta Lesniak and Aleksandra Malyarchikova head to the 2009 NCAA Tennis Championships this week, where the top 64 singles players and 32 doubles teams will battle for NCAA titles at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center in College Station.

Lesniak, who enters the event on a 10-match win streak, will battle Clemson's Ani Mijacika, the tournament's No. 4 seed, on Wednesday, May 20. Mijacika spent six weeks as the nation's top player in the Campbell/ITA Tennis rankings this season and has been listed in the top five in every poll this spring. While Mijacika will pose a stiff challenge for Lesniak, the Mustang freshman has lost just once this season and already owns a win over the tournament's No. 3 seed, Aurelija Miseviciute of Arkansas, whom she defeated in February.

In doubles, Lesniak and Malyarchikova will take on Megan Falcon and Mykala Hedberg of LSU in opening-round play on Thursday, May 21. Lesniak and Malyarchikova are 15-0 this season and come in on the heels of a win over the No. 13 tandem of Lenka Broosova and Csilla Borsanyi in the NCAA Team Championships.

A full singles draw is available here and a doubles draw is here, while live scoring will be available here.