PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Marshall University’s Kellie Schmitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Karolina Soor (Lindesberg, Sweden) competed in a United States Tennis Association (USTA) as unattached players in Pittsburgh, Pa., yesterday evening. The tandem competed in the 2008 Dick’s Sporting Good, Inc. 50,000 dollar purse challenger in the women’s USTA Pro Circuit.

The duo competed as a wild card in the 16-team doubles main draw against Madison Brengle (USA) and Kimberly Couts (USA), Wednesday evening at the Oxford Athletic Club. Schmitt and Soor took a 6-4, 3-6, 11-9 decision over the WTA-ranked world pair.

Brengle stands as the No. 221 WTA-ranked doubles player, while Couts is the No. 192 WTA-ranked doubles player. Brengle won the US Open Junior Tennis Championships last month after she defeated Cindy Chala from France, 6-2, 6-2.

“It is good to travel here and play against this competition,” Schmitt said. “We now have the confidence to go out and compete against any individual we meet.”

Tournaments of this size draw players from throughout the world who are seeking not only the prize money but also the ranking points that would qualify them for higher prize-money events, including the “Grand Slam” events, such as Wimbledon and the U.S. Open.

Anyone registered with the International Tennis Federation (ITF) may enter this tournament, but with more than 1,000 ranked professionals in the world today the 16 spots in the Main Draw Doubles are highly coveted indeed. The age range in this tournament is 17 to 31.

Kellie was invited to participate as a “local wildcard” by the tournament promoter, Bob Ruzanic, a Pittsburgher who is a former chairman of the U.S. David Cup Committee. Kellie received the wildcard bid because she has been an outstanding player from Pittsburgh on the USTA junior circuit and last summer was a finalist in Pittsburgh’s most important amateur event, the National Collegiate Clay Courts Championships/West Penn Amateur, according to Tom Benic, District President.

The USTA 50,000 dollar purse challenger in Pittsburgh is a continuation of the Ashland, Ky. tournament hosted last week.

Schmitt and Soor will face the four seeded pair of Neuza Silva (Portugal) and Nicole Thyssen (Netherlands), Thursday evening. Thyssen is the No. 158 WTA-ranked world doubles player, while Silva ranks No. 222.