Today, heartbreak set in for the Illini Women’s Tennis program as sophomore phenom Asuka Kawai was finally ousted in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals by top-ranked Estela Perez-Somarriba from Miami in straight sets, 6-4, 6-4. Perez-Somarriba is the No. 1 player in the country, so being able to hang with her is impressive in its own right. For Asuka, however, it may have been a coming-out party.
This past week, Kawai made history for the Fighting Illini, even if you didn’t hear about it. Down in Orlando, Florida, Kawai became the first Illini woman to ever reach the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament in singles.