Colorado Buffaloes Conclude Milwaukee Tennis Classic with Strong Performance
GLENDALE, Wis. – On the final day of the Milwaukee Tennis Classic’s 50th anniversary, Colorado didn’t just close out the weekend. The Buffaloes stamped it with authority.
With a lighter schedule after two grind-heavy days, Colorado still made the most noise in the building, sweeping both doubles and singles against Wisconsin to finish the three-day event on a surge of confidence.
Veteran duo sets the tone
The morning started with familiar faces setting a sharp edge. Returning Buffaloes Lera Alexin and Ema Bubalo walked onto court with purpose and walked off with a 6-2 win that never really felt in doubt.
They broke immediately, taking the opening game from Wisconsin’s pairing of Karolina Jacobson and Gabriela Skrabalova. The Badgers answered to level at 1-1, but that was as close as they would get. Colorado’s pair tightened the screws, rolling through three straight games to seize control at 4-1.
Wisconsin briefly halted the run at 4-2, hinting at a late push. The response from Alexin and Bubalo was ruthless. Two more games, no more openings, and the match was done. A clean, controlled 6-2 that underlined their experience and chemistry.
Head coach Anthony Pham liked what he saw across the weekend.
"I thought our group made some good progress this weekend," Pham said. "We played a ton of matches, competed well, and are showing strong maturity in how we handle adversity."
Ternstroem’s debut, and a three-set test
With doubles in the bag, the spotlight shifted to the lone singles match of the day for Colorado — and to a new face in the lineup.
First-year player Louise Ternstroem, making her Colorado debut, carried the doubles momentum straight into her singles clash with Jacobson. She came out assertive, dictating rallies and taking the opening set 6-3.
Jacobson, playing in her home state and refusing to fold, dug in. The second set turned into a battle, game by game, until it spilled into a tiebreak. This time, it was the Badger who edged it, 7-6, dragging the match into a deciding breaker.
The test of composure arrived early in Ternstroem’s college career. She passed it. In the match tiebreak, the Colorado newcomer steadied herself, handled the moment, and closed out the win, officially recorded as 6-3, 6-7, 1-0.
After two days that had seen Colorado players log six doubles and 15 singles matches, Sunday was lighter on volume but heavy on significance. A debut win. A doubles statement. A coach seeing exactly the kind of competitive edge he wants in September.
Eyes on the Bedford Cup
Colorado now heads home with a productive early-season marker in the books. The Buffaloes will return to practice this week to sharpen up for the Bedford Cup, set for Sept. 25-27 at the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.
"We are excited to get back to practice, to prepare for the Bedford Cup in a couple of weeks," Pham said.
The Classic is in the books. The next test comes at altitude, where this young group will try to turn early promise into something more substantial.
