MEMPHIS, Tenn. - Cincinnati, Memphis and Tulane all earned first-round wins in the 2016 American Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Championship on Wednesday.
All the Wednesday matches were moved indoors due to inclement weather. The three teams advanced to the quarterfinals, which will take place on Thursday.
No. 8 Tulane 4, No. 9 UConn 1
No. 8 seed Tulane produced a 4-1 win over No. 9 seed UConn in a morning match at the indoor facility on the campus of Memphis University School.
The Green Wave jumped out to a 1-0 lead after wins at No. 1 and No. 3 doubles. Ipek Birol and Sade Atkinson won 6-2 over Huskies’ Srna Stosljevic and Gillian Perrotta, while Jacqui Katz and Kyla Klier tallied a 6-2 victory over Shea Flanagan and Jacqueline Lazaro of UConn.
Tulane increased its advantage to 3-0 following wins from Elena Muller and Birol. The Huskies got on the scoreboard with a three-set. win from Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva at No. 3 singles. The Green Wave closed out the match with a 7-6 (7-3), 7-5 victory at No. 2 singles from Naz Karagoz.
Tulane advances to face top-seeded Tulsa Thursday at 1 p.m. ET/Noon CT.
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Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 1, 3)
1. Ipek Birol/Sade Atkinson (TLN) def. Srna Stosljevic/Gillian Perrotta (UCONN) 6-2
2. Elena Muller/Naz Karagoz (TLN) vs. Emma Alderman/Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva (UCONN) 3-4, unfinished
3. Jacqui Katz/Kyla Klier (TLN) def. Shea Flanagan/Jacqueline Lazaro (UCONN) 6-2
Singles Competition: (Order of Finish: 4, 1, 3, 2)
1. Ipek Birol (TLN) def. Srna Stosljevic (UCONN) 6-1, 6-7 (1-7), 6-1
2. Naz Karagoz (TLN) def. Emma Alderman (UCONN) 7-6 (7-3), 7-5
3. Yelyzaveta Pletnyeva (UCONN) def. Kyla Klier (TLN) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
4. Elena Muller (TLN) def. Jacqueline Lazaro (UCONN) 6-4, 6-3
5. Jacqui Katz (TLN) vs. Zaina Zaki (UCONN) 3-1, unfinished
6. Shea Flanagan (UCONN) vs. Meredith Maltby (TLN) no result
No. 11 Memphis 4, No. 6 East Carolina 1
No. 11 seed Memphis upset No. 6 seed East Carolina, 4-1, in an early afternoon match at the indoor facility on the campus of the Memphis University School.
The Tigers produced a pair of 6-2 wins to earn the doubles point. Hanna Sohn and Janina Berres got things started with a win against the Pirates’ Nicole LaDuca and Celia Ruiz. The Memphis tandem of Gabrielle Paul and Kathryn Hughes clinched the point moments after East Carolina’s Michelle Castro and Annija Veinsteina tallied a 6-3 win at No. 3.
Memphis increased its lead to 3-0 following straight-set singles wins from Marta Morga at No. 3 and Berres at No. 4. After a default at No. 6, Hughes closed the door on the match with a 7-6, 7-5 win against Pirates’ Nicole LaDuca at No. 2.
The Tigers are set to play No. 3 seed SMU on Thursday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT.
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Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2)
1. Hanna Sohn/Janina Berres (MEM) def. Nicole LaDuca/Celia Ruiz (ECU) 6-2
2. Gabrielle Paul/Kathryn Hughes (MEM) def. Maria Storozheva/Sarah Sarjoo (ECU) 6-2
3. Michelle Castro/Annija Veinsteina (ECU) def. Marta Morga/Tara McElroy (MEM) 6-3
Singles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 4, 6, 2)
1. Celia Ruiz (ECU) vs. Hanna Sohn (MEM) 6-4, 3-6, 4-0, unfinished
2. Kathryn Hughes (MEM) def. Nicole LaDuca (ECU) 7-6 (7-5), 7-5
3. Marta Morga (MEM) def. Maria Storozheva (ECU) 6-0, 6-1
4. Janina Berres (MEM) def. Michelle Castro (ECU) 6-3, 6-1
5. Sarah Sarjoo (ECU) vs. Gabrielle Paul (MEM) 2-4, unfinished
6. Katie Hoch (ECU) def. Tara McElroy (MEM), by default
No. 10 Cincinnati 4, No. 7 Temple 2
No. 10 seed Cincinnati pulled off the 4-2 upset of No. 7 seed Temple in an afternoon match at the Racquet Club of Memphis.
The Bearcats claimed the No. 1 and No. 3 spots to capture the doubles point to start the match. Antonella Bramato and Katya Bure produced a 6-1 win at No. 3, while Lauren Bellinger and Ali Miller followed with a 6-3 win against Temple’s Alina Abdurakhimova and Minami Okajima at No. 1.
Temple quickly evened the score in the first singles contest. Bellinger and Bramato swung the momentum back to the Bearcats with victories on the second and third courts. Monet Stuckey-Willis brought the Owls within one when she outlasted Bure 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3. Harley Hutchinson secured the match for Cincinnati with a three-set win at No. 5.
The Bearcats will face No. 2 seed USF at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT on Thursday.
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Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 1)
1. Lauren Bellinger/Ali Miller (CIN) def. Alina Abdurakhimova/Minami Okajima (TEM) 6-3
2. Dina Karina/Monet Stuckey-Willis (TEM) vs. Harley Hutchison/Samantha Perry (CIN) 5-5, unfinished
3. Antonella Bramato/Katya Bure (CIN) def. Yana Khon/Anais Nussaume (TEM) 6-1
Singles Competition (Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2, 4, 5)
1. Alina Abdurakhimova (TEM) def. Ali Miller (CIN) 6-2, 4-1, retired
2. Lauren Bellinger (CIN) def. Yana Khon (TEM) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
3. Antonella Bramato (CIN) def. Anais Nussaume (TEM) 6-2, 6-3
4. Monet Stuckey-Willis (TEM) def. Katya Bure (CIN) 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
5. Harley Hutchison (CIN) def. Dina Karina (TEM) 6-4, 4-6, 6-0
6. Mariana Bedon (TEM) vs. Hannah Wille (CIN) 4-6, 5-4, unfinished