PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Marshall University’s Kellie Schmitt (Pittsburgh, Pa.) and Karolina Soor (Lindesberg, Sweden) competed in a United States Tennis Association (USTA) tournament as unattached players in Pittsburgh, Pa., Thursday 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 continued competition as a wild card in the eight-team doubles main draw against Neuza Silva (Portugal) and Nicole Thyssen (Netherlands). Thyssen is the No. 158 WTA-ranked world doubles player, while Silva ranks No. 222.

The fourth-seeded pair of Silva and Thyssen took a 7-5, 6-2 decision over Schmitt and Soor at the Oxford Athletic Club.

The pair defeated the No. 221 WTA-ranked doubles player, Madison Brengle (USA), and the No. 192 WTA-ranked doubles player, Kimberly Couts (USA), 6-4, 3-6, 11-9, Wednesday evening, to advance to the eight-team doubles main draw.

Brengle won the US Open Junior Tennis Championships last month after she defeated Cindy Chala from France, 6-2, 6-2.

Tournaments of this size draw players 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. 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.