The Louisville Invitational this weekend in Louisville, Ky., will be round two in a season-long prize fight for one of the SIUC women’s top tennis players.

For senior Molly Card, the meet will be a chance to play University of Louisville’s Manisha Patel, who beat Card at the Saluki Invitational Sept. 26-28.

Every time you play somebody a second time, you do better, Card said. We kind of have a big rivalry with that team.

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Card said she has a good friend who plays on the Louisville squad, and she has a good idea of the team’s strategy.

But the University of Louisville is the only team in the tournament field the Salukis have seen this year. The Louisville Invitational will consist of 10 teams, including the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga, Western Kentucky University and Eastern Kentucky University.

The draws in the tournament will be combined, meaning that the No. 1 and the No. 2 players will be in the No. 1 draw, while the No. 2 draw will be the No. 3 and No. 4 players. There will be four draws.

Card will again be at the No. 1 spot for the Salukis. Card said she is adjusting to the spot but does not focus on the fact that she battles the top player at every school SIUC plays.

I don’t look at that, Card said. I just look at my opponents and concentrate on improving week to week.

Card struggled at last weekend’s Missouri Valley Conference tournament in St. Louis, losing two-straight set matches. Juniors Jennifer Robison and Maria Villarreal also were 0-2.

Helen Johnson had a tough weekend and went 1-1 in singles. She said she has had a hard time adjusting to the No. 3 spot. Johnson played the No. 4 spot last season.

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It (No. 3) is a lot more difficult of a spot, Johnson said. But I am the type of player that plays like the opponent, and the better they play, then the better I play. I am playing the best tennis I have ever played.

SIUC women’s tennis coach Judy Auld said the players cannot allow one bad weekend to bother them.

We’ve been good in singles up until the past weekend, Auld said. But you can’t dwell on it. You have to put that behind you.

Card and senior Sanem Berksoy were 3-1 in the Saluki Invitational, while Robison was 2-1 and Villarreal was 3-1. Johnson went 1-2 at the Salukis’ lone home tournament.

Auld said her main concern is the team’s improvement, not wins and losses. She said the area that needs the most improvement is the doubles teams.

They need to play more aggressive, Auld said. You need to go for shots in certain situations and get the doubles game going. In doubles you have to play up to the net.

Johnson and junior Mardee Crane both played well last weekend finishing in the semifinals, but Johnson said she and Crane need to take charge early in the matches.

Instead of playing long games, I think we need to close out the game, Johnson said. We need to win the game instead of giving the other team the opportunity to win.