Pehlivan Secures First Collegiate Singles Victory

Friday, October 3

East Lansing, Mich.

All Day

DePaul University

Michigan State Classic

Pehlivan Secures First Collegiate Singles Victory

10/3/2025 11:21:00 PM | WOMEN'S TENNIS

Michigan State Classic (Tournament Central)

Sechi and Smith join Pehlivan with singles triumphs on Day One

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Freshman Yasemin Pehlivan collected her first career singles win on Friday afternoon at the Michigan State Classic. Junior Roberta Sechi and senior Hannah Smith also registered singles victories to bring the Blue Demon total to three on the day.

Doubles action opened the tournament for the Scarlet and Blue. Redshirt sophomore Helin Alvarez paired up with Sasha Stula to bring home the 6-4 triumph over Marielou Baudouin/Ayana Yaguchi (WMU). The contest marked the first time Alvarez had appeared in a match since November 2024. Stula and Alvarez play Xingtong Jiang and Sienna Osborne (WMU) on Saturday for the West final.

Freshman Clara Nilsson made her collegiate debut as well, partnering with Smith. The pair ultimately lost to Michigan's Gabriella Vanessa Lindgren/Laura Maser, 6-2.

In singles, Pehlivan faced Jiang of Western Michigan. Pehlivan edged out Jiang 7-5 in the first set, swinging the momentum in her favor. The Istanbul, Turkey native dominated the second set, 6-1, to secure the match. Pehlivan squares off against Michigan State's Issey Purser in the Flight C semifinal on Saturday. In Nilsson's singles debut, the freshman fell in the first set 6-1 to Purser before rebounding in set two, 6-3. The tiebreaker was a back-and-forth battle, with Purser narrowly defeating Nilsson 7-6 (8).

DePaul finished the day with two singles victories from Sechi and Smith. Sechi controlled the match against the Spartans' Sarah Fazlagic, winning, 6-3, 6-4. Smith beat Hanna Tsitavets (MSU), 6-4, 6-4, for her first singles victory of the season.

Michigan State Classic
October 3, 2025
MSU Outdoor Tennis Courts
East Lansing, Mich.

Doubles
Gabriella Vanessa Lindgren/Laura Maser (UM) def. Clara Nilsson/Hannah Smith (DPU), 6-2
Ava Bruno/Bayley Sheinin (UM) def. Yasemin Pehlivan/Roberta Sechi (DPU), 6-4
Xingtong Jiang/Sienna Osborne (WMU) def. Clara Nilsson/Hannah Smith (DPU), 6-4
Helin Alvarez/Sasha Stula (DPU) def. Marielou Baudouin/Ayana Yaguchi (WMU), 6-4

Singles
Marelie Raath (NU) def. Sasha Stula (DPU), 6-2, 6-4
Hannah Smith (DPU) def. Hanna Tsitavets (MSU), 6-4, 6-4
Nina Pihal (MSU) def. Helin Alvarez (DPU), 6-3, 6-3
Yasemin Pehlivan (DPU) def. Xingtong Jiang (WMU), 7-5, 6-1
Issey Purser (MSU) def. Clara Nilsson (DPU), 6-1, 3-6, 7-6 (8)
Roberta Sechi (DPU) def. Sarah Fazlagic (MSU), 6-3, 6-4

UP NEXT
Action continues from East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday, Oct. 4. Doubles competition begins at 9 a.m. CT with singles starting at 12:30 p.m. CT.

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