Nov. 4, 2009

FRESNO, Calif. - No. 22 Anastasia Petukhova is set to face the top-ranked player in the country, Maria Mosolova of Northwestern, for the opening round of the ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. PT in New Haven, Conn.

Petukhova earned a wild card selection to National Indoors after advancing to the Round of 16 at the ITA Northwest Regional and also winning the consolation bracket of the ITA All-American Main Draw.

Mosolova is 8-2 on the season and entered the 2009-10 season as the top-ranked player, after holding that distinction for the majority of the 2008-09 season.

Last season, Mosolova faced Fresno State's Melanie Gloria twice, with Gloria winning once and second match Gloria was ahead when the match was called because the team victory was already decided.

Mosolova and Petukhova are also very familiar with each other. Both hail from Moscow, Russia, and are childhood friends, who trained to together and battled each other many times prior to their collegiate careers.

If Petukhova wins, she will face the winner of the match between No. 17 Maria Sanchez of USC and Miami's sixth-ranked Laura Vallverdu on Friday at 7:30 a.m. PT.

"We Are Your Team" - Senior Anastasia Petukhova will represent the 'Dogs at the National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships on Nov. 5-8 in New Haven, Conn. For all the up to date information on Fresno State women's tennis stay logged on to gobulldogs.com.