CHAMP CENTRAL
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – The second day of the 2016 American Athletic Conference Tennis Championships featured four women’s quarterfinals and one men’s first-round match. The Houston, USF, SMU and Tulsa women’s teams advanced to Friday’s semifinals, while the East Carolina men moved on to the quarterfinals.
Women's Championship - Quarterfinals
No. 5 Houston 4, No. 4 UCF 0
No. 5 seed Houston won a 4-0 decision against No. 4 seed UCF in an early afternoon match on Thursday. Due to rainy conditions the match was played at the indoor facilities at the Racquet Club of Memphis.
The Cougars captured the doubles point to start the match. Maria Cardenas and Angela Lorenzo defeated UCF’s Monica Matias and Cortney Cesarini, 6-3 on court three, while the duo of Despoina Vogasari and Rocio Martin earned a 6-2 win over Sofia Baptista and Natalia Serrano on court one.
Houston posted wins in the top-three singles matches to earn the win. Mina Markovic produced a two-set win at No. 2, Martin followed with a 6-3, 6-3 victory at No. 3 and Vogasari closed out the match with a 6-3, 1-6, 6-2 win at No. 1.
The Cougars move on to the semifinals to face top-seeded Tulsa on Friday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT.
--
Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 1)
1. Despoina Vogasari/Rocio Martin (HOU) def. Sofia Baptista/Natalia Serrano (UCF) 6-2
2. Caroline Eberhart/Emilia Granstrom (UCF) vs. Mina Markovic/Tina Rupert (HOU) 5-2, unfinished
3. Maria Cardenas/Angela Morenzo (HOU) def. Monica Matias/Cortney Cesarini (UCF) 6-3
Singles Competition: (Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1)
1. #118 Despoina Vogasari (HOU) def. Caroline Eberhart (UCF) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
2. Mina Markovic (HOU) def. Sofia Baptista (UCF) 6-1, 7-6 (7-2)
3. Rocio Martin (HOU) def. Emilia Granstrom (UCF) 6-3, 6-3
4. Cortney Cesarini (UCF) vs. Tina Rupert (HOU) 7-6 (7-5), 2-6, unfinished
5. Monica Matias (UCF) vs. Maria Cardenas (HOU) unfinished
6. Natalia Serrano (UCF) vs. Angela Morenzo (HOU) unfinished
No. 1 Tulsa 4, No. 8 Tulane 1
No. 1 Tulsa clinched a berth into the semifinals with a 4-1 win against No. 8 Tulane on Thursday afternoon. The match was played at the indoor facilities on the campus of the University of Memphis due to rain.
The Golden Hurricane received wins at No. 3 and No. 2 to earn the doubles point. Saana Saarteinen and Mahitha Dadireddy produced a 6-0 win on court three against the Green Waves’ Jacqui Katz and Kyla Klier. Tulsa tandem Rongrong Leenabancho and Martah Matoula followed in their teammate’s footsteps with a 6-2 on court two.
Tulane’s Naz Karagoz evened the match with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 2 to start singles play. The Golden Hurricane strung together wins from Marcelina Cichon at No. 4, Saarteinen at No. 1 and Leenabancho at No. 3 to claim the match.
Tulsa advances to the semifinals to play No. 5 seed Houston on Friday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT.
--
Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 2)
1. Ksenia Laskutova/Renata Kuricova (TLS) vs. Ipek Birol/Sade Atkinson (TLN) 4-5, unfinished
2. Rongrong Leenabancho/Martah Matoula (TLS) def. Elena Muller/Naz Karagoz (TLN) 6-2
3. Saana Saarteinen/Mahitha Dadireddy (TLS) def. Jacqui Katz/Kyla Klier (TLN) 6-0
Singles Competition (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 1, 3)
1. #104 Saana Saarteinen (TLS) def. Ipek Birol (TLN) 7-5, 6-3
2. Naz Karagoz (TLN) def. #121 Ksenia Laskutova (TLS) 6-4, 6-2
3. Rongrong Leenabancho (TLS) def. Kyla Klier (TLN) 6-1, 7-5
4. Marcelina Cichon (TLS) def. Elena Muller (TLN) 7-6 (7-3), 6-2
5. Renata Kuricova (TLS) vs. Jacqui Katz (TLN) 1-2, unfinished
6. Martah Matoula (TLS) vs. Meredith Maltby (TLN) unfinished
No. 2 USF 4, No. 10 Cincinnati 0
No. 2 seed USF produced a 4-0 win against No. 10 seed Cincinnati on Thursday afternoon at the Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center on the campus of the Memphis University School.
The Bulls captured the doubles point to begin the match. Nicole Dzenga and Chloe Murphy defeated the Bearcats’ Samantha Perry and Natalia Abdalla, 6-1, on court three, while Lauren Bellinger and Harley Hutchison picked up a 6-3 victory against Vera Bessonova and Olga Martinez on court one.
USF earned three consecutive singles wins to clinch the sweep. Ana Roman Dominguez began singles action with a win at No. 3, Vanja Klaric followed with a 6-4, 6-4 decision at No. 5 and Vera Bessonova closed out the match with a 6-1, 7-5 victory at No. 2.
The Bulls will face No. 3 seed SMU at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT on Friday.
--
Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2)
1. Lauren Bellinger/Harley Hutchison (CIN) def. Vera Bessonova/Olga Martinez (USF) 6-3
2. Jessica Chaves/Juliana Cardoso (USF) def. Antonella Bramato/Katya Bure (CIN) 6-4
3. Nicole Dzenga/Chloe Murphy (USF) def. Samantha Perry/Natalia Abdalla (CIN) 6-1
Singles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 5, 2)
1. Jessica Chaves (USF) vs. Lauren Bellinger (CIN) 4-6, 3-4, unfinished
2. Vera Bessonova (USF) def. Antonella Bramato (CIN) 6-1, 7-5
3. Ana Roman Dominguez (USF) def. Katya Bure (CIN) 6-3, 6-0
4. Olga Martinez (USF) vs. Harley Hutchison (CIN) 6-3, 5-5, unfinished
5. Vanja Klaric (USF) def. Hannah Wille (CIN) 6-4, 6-4
6. Juliana Cardoso (USF) vs. Natalia Abdalla (CIN) 7-5, 2-2, unfinished
No. 3 SMU 4, No. 11 Memphis 3
No. 3 seed SMU outlasted No. 11 Memphis in a 4-3 battle on Thursday afternoon at the Dunavant-Wellford Tennis Center on the campus of the Memphis University School.
The Mustangs earned a 6-3 win from Dasha Sharapova and Mary Wright at No. 2 and 6-1 win from Ana Perez-Lopez and Macie Elliott at No. 3 to clinch the doubles point to start the match.
SMU raced out to a 3-0 lead following singles wins from Vaszilisza Bulgakova at No. 2 and Hristina Dishkova at No. 1. Memphis rallied back with three singles wins from Janina Berres (No. 4), Marta Morga (No. 3) and Gabrielle Paul (No. 5). With the match tied at 3-all and only No. 6 singles remaining, Mustangs’ Macie Elliot recorded a 7-5, 6-4 win against the Tigers’ Tara McElroy to capture the match for SMU.
The Mustangs advance to face No. 2 seed USF at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT on Friday.
--
Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 1, 2)
1. Hanna Sohn/Janina Berres (MEM) def. #82 Vaszilisza Bulgakova/Hristina Dishkova (SMU) 6-3
2. Dasha Sharapova/Mary Wright (SMU) def. Gabrielle Paul/Kathryn Hughes (MEM) 6-3
3. Ana Perez-Lopez/Macie Elliott (SMU) def. Marta Morga/Tara McElroy (MEM) 6-1
Singles Competition (Order of Finish: 2, 1, 4, 3, 5, 6)
1. Hristina Dishkova (SMU) def. Hanna Sohn (MEM) 6-2, 6-2
2. Vaszilisza Bulgakova (SMU) def. Kathryn Hughes (MEM) 6-4, 6-1
3. Marta Morga (MEM) def. Dasha Sharapova (SMU) 6-3, 7-5
4. Janina Berres (MEM) def. Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Gabrielle Paul (MEM) def. Mary Wright (SMU) 7-5, 6-3
6. Macie Elliott (SMU) def. Tara McElroy (MEM) 7-5, 6-4
Men's Championship - First Round
No. 8 East Carolina 4, No. 9 UConn 1
No. 8 seed East Carolina defeated No. 9 UConn, 4-1, on Thursday morning to advance to the men’s quarterfinals. The match was played at the indoor facilities on the campus of the Memphis University School due to inclement weather.
The Pirates jumped out to a 1-0 lead behind doubles wins at No. 1 and No. 3. Tendai Tapfuma and James Ling produced a 6-4 win against the Huskies’ Jacob Spreyer and Christopher Toner on court one, while Kasey Countee and Will Bissett earned a 6-2 victory over Justin Warren and Hank Hill of UConn on court three.
East Carolina carried its momentum into singles play, increasing its lead to 3-0. Countee registered the first singles win at No. 2, followed by Ling at No. 4. Jacob Spreyer brought the Huskies within two points after his 6-3, 7-5 win against the Pirates’ Tapfuma at No. 1. Lehfeldt clinched the match for East Carolina in a three-set thriller, outlasting Justin Warren 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5).
The Pirates advance to face top-seeded USF Friday at 1 p.m. ET/Noon CT.
--
Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 3, 1)
1. Tendai Tapfuma/James Ling (ECU) def. Jacob Spreyer/Christopher Toner (UCONN) 6-4
2. Fredric Lehfeldt/Vlad Anghel (ECU) vs. Zac McEntee/Arnaud Valentin (UCONN) 3-5, unfinished
3. Kasey Countee/Will Bissett (ECU) def. Justin Warren/Hank Hill (UCONN) 6-2
Singles Competition: (Order of Finish: 2, 4, 1, 3)
1. Jacob Spreyer (UCONN) def. Tendai Tapfuma (ECU) 6-3, 7-5
2. Kasey Countee (ECU) def. Christopher Toner (UCONN) 6-2, 6-2
3. Fredric Lehfeldt (ECU) def. Justin Warren (UCONN) 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-5)
4. James Ling (ECU) def. Zac McEntee (UCONN) 6-3, 6-2
5. Vlad Anghel (ECU) vs. Arnaud Valentin (UCONN) 6-7 (4-7), 4-2, unfinished
6. Will Bissett (ECU) vs. Hank Hill (UCONN) 6-4, 4-1, unfinished
