Orlando, Fla. – Top-seeded Tulsa and No. 7 seed USF each earned semifinal wins at the 2017 Women’s Tennis Championship on Friday.
The pair will meet in the championship on Saturday, April 22, at 3 p.m. ET/ 2 p.m. CT, with live coverage on the American Digital Network.
No. 1 Tulsa 4, No. 4 Cincinnati 0
No. 1 seed Tulsa produced a 4-0 win over No. 4 seed Cincinnati in an afternoon match at the USTA National Campus.
The Golden Hurricane jumped out to a 1-0 lead after wins at No. 1 and No. 2 doubles spots. Mahitha Dadireddy and Ksenia Laskutova won 6-0 over the Bearcats’ Lauren Bellinger and Kelly Poggensee-Wei, while Rongrong Leenabanchong and Martha Matoula tallied a 6-0 victory over Harley Hutchinson and Ali Miller of Cincinnati.
Tulsa built a 3-0 lead after straight-set wins at No. 1 and No. 5 singles by Ksenia Laskutova and Martha Matoula, respectively. The Golden Hurricane clinched their third consecutive trip to the American women’s championship match with Marcelina Cichon straight-set victory at No. 6.
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Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: 1, 2)
1. Mahitha Dadireddy/ Ksenia Laskutova (Tulsa) def. Lauren Bellinger/Kelly Poggensee-Wei (Cincinnati), 6-0
2. Rongrong Leenabanchong/ Martha Matoula (Tulsa) def. Harley Hutchinson/Ali Miller (Cincinnati), 6-0
3. Martina Okalova/ Vera Ploner (Tulsa) vs. Antonella Bramato/Caroline Morton (Cincinnati), 3-4 unfinished
Singles Competition (Order of Finish: 1,5,6)
1. Ksenia Laskutova (Tulsa) def. Lauren Bellinger (Cincinnati), 6-1, 6-0
2. Rongrong Leenabanchong (Tulsa) vs. Kelly Poggensee-Wei (Cincinnati), 4-6, 3-2 unfinished
3. Mahitha Dadireddy (Tulsa) vs. Antonella Bramato (Cincinnati), 6-2, 2-4 unfinished
4. Martina Okalova (Tulsa) vs. Caroline Morton (Cincinnati), 6-7(5) unfinished
5. Martha Matoula (Tulsa) def. Ana Philip (Cincinnati), 6-1, 6-4
6. Marcelina Cichon (Tulsa) def. Harley Hutchinson (Cincinnati), 6-0, 6-3
Team Records: Tulsa (20-6), Cincinnati (17-7)
No. 7 USF 4, No. 3 SMU 2
No. 7 seed USF upset No. 3 seed SMU, 4-2, in a semifinal match at the USTA National Campus.
The Bulls took the doubles point with wins at the No. 1 and No. 2 spots. SMU fought back earning two points of their own from victories at the No. 2 and No. 1 singles. USF tied the match on the strength of a singles victory from Vanja Klaric at No.2 singles.
With all eyes on the Nos. 3 and 6 singles court, and both matches into the third set, USF clinched a return trip to the championship match behind Juliana Cordoso, who rallied for a 6-4, 6-7 (1), 6-4 victory.
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Doubles Competition (Order of Finish: (1,3)
1. Vera Bessonova/Olga Martinez (USF) def. Ana Perez-Lopez/Sarai Monarrez Yesaki (SMU) 7-6(5)
2. Liza Buss/Macie Elliot (SMU) vs. Juliana Cardoso/Jessica Cortes-Chaves (USF), 5-5 unfinished
3. Vanja Klaric/Nicole Dzenga (USF) def. Mary Wright/Dasha Sharapova (SMU), 6-4
Singles Competition (Order of Finish: 5,2,1,4,3)
1. Liza Buss (SMU) def. Ana Roman Dominguez (USF), 6-3, 6-2
2. Sarai Monarreez Yesaki (SMU) def. Vera Bessonova (USF), 6-2 ,6-0
3. Juliana Cordoso (USF) def. Dasha Sharapvoa (SMU), 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-4
4. Vanja Klaric (USF) def. Ana Perez-Lopez (SMU), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
5. Nicole Dzenga (USF) def. Charline Anselmo (SMU), 6-2, 6-2
6. Mary Wright (SMU) vs. Jessica Cortes Chaves (USF), 6-3, 4-6, 6-5 unfinished
Team Records: USF (15-10), SMU (17-7)
2017 American Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Championship Schedule
USTA National Campus- Orlando, Fla.
Wednesday, April 19 - First Round
Match 1: No. 7 USF 4, No. 10 Temple 0
Match 2: No. 6 East Carolina 4, No. 11 UConn 3
Match 3: No. 8 UCF 4, No. 9 Houston 0
Thursday, April 20 - Quarterfinals
Match 4: No. 1 Tulsa 4, No. 8 UCF 1
Match 5: No. 4 Cincinnati 4, No.5 Memphis 1
Match 6: No. 3 SMU 4, No. 6 East Carolina 1
Match 7: No. 7 USF 4, No.2 Tulane 1
Friday, April 21 - Semifinals
Match 8: No. 1 Tulsa 4, No. 4 Cincinnati 0
Match 9: No. 7 USF 4, No. 3 SMU 2
Saturday, April 22 - Final
Match 10: No. 1 Tulsa vs. No. 7 USF - 3 p.m. ET/2 p.m. CT