Thrilling Semifinals See Dow Tennis Classic Final Set Between 2018 Winner Madison Brengle and Robin Anderson, Doubles Champions Crowned

MIDLAND, Mich. (Nov. 6, 2021) - By: Thomas Cluck

A thrilling semifinal Saturday at the Dow Tennis Classic in Midland, Michigan sets up what should be a great conclusion to championship weekend at the Greater Midland Tennis Center with 2018 champion and top seed Madison Brengle and fellow American and former UCLA Bruin Robin Anderson set to contest the singles final on Sunday.

The two final four showdowns did not disappoint on Day Six with an up-and-down roller coaster between Brengle and former USC Trojan Danielle Lao going the way of the Delaware native 6-7, 7-6, 6-0 in two hours and 44 minutes.

“I just had to compete, she was playing so well the first two sets and coming forward, she was just doing a lot well so I just had to fight and compete because the tennis she was producing was really tough,” said Brengle, the world number 71.

It took everything Brengle had to survive the feisty “Little Giant” Lao, saving her best tennis for the end to book a spot in another Midland championship match after her win here in 2018 over countrywoman and former North Carolina Tar Heel Jamie Loeb.

“It’s just a mindset going in, you really don’t have to give yourself two opponents is how I feel about it and you gotta be your biggest fan out there and keep competing,” commented Brengle on her attitude and mental toughness throughout the three-set battle.

“The atmosphere out there was crazy, especially in the second-set tiebreaker. They were loving it so it’s just nice to play in front of fans like that,” she concluded.

The upset of the day went the way of this week’s Cinderella story Anderson- a finalist here in 2016-, who’s been a revelation and fairytale all in one so far, stopping 2019 winner and fifth seed Caty McNally’s bid for a second Midland title with a brilliant performance to knock out the Cincinnati, Ohio native 5-7, 6-3, 6-4.

The first trophy of this year’s tournament was awarded later today here as the second-seeded team of Great Britain's Harriet Dart and the US’ Asia Muhammad held off the three seeds Peangtarn Plipuech of Thailand and Aldila Sutjiadi of Indonesia 6-3, 2-6, 10-7 in the final-set ten-point tiebreaker to hoist the doubles title here and reign as champions indoors in the Midwest.

The championship match of this year’s Dow Tennis Classic, an all-American duel for the third time in the last four editions of this event, will have Brengle battle Anderson on Stadium court at 2 PM local time with the Midland title on the line, making for a thrilling finish to an incredible week so far here on day seven.