ORLANDO, Fla. – The most recent American Athletic Conference women’s tennis champion will face the team that has won the most American titles for the 2021 crown as top-seeded UCF and No. 3-seeded Tulsa won their respective semifinal matches Saturday morning at the USTA National Campus.
 
Tulsa was a 4-0 winner against SMU, while UCF claimed a 4-0 victory against Houston in the semifinals, setting the stage for the teams’ first meeting in the championship final. UCF was a 4-2 winner against Tulsa Monday in Orlando in the final match of the regular season.  
 
Complete coverage of The American Tennis Championships, including live scoring of each match, can be found on the conference’s Championship Central site. Live coverage of the women’s final will be available on ESPN+.
 
 
Tulsa 4, SMU 0
Records: Tulsa (15-6), SMU (21-10)
 
Valeriya Rozenkova scored the clinching point and led a contingent of three Tulsa players to register straight-set victories as the Golden Hurricane advanced to the American Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Championship final with a 4-0 win against SMU Saturday morning.
 
The Golden Hurricane will play for its fourth American Athletic Conference title Sunday. Tulsa previously won the championship in 2015, 2016 and 2018 and is in the championship final for the fifth time in the seven-year history of The American Championship. Tulsa improved to 14-2 all-time in the tournament.
 
Vera Ploner was first to finish in singles Saturday as she cruised to a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 4, while Shura Poppe claimed a quick 6-3, 6-0 decision at No. 3 to put Tulsa ahead 3-0.
 
SMU had claimed the first sets on three of the four remaining courts, however, leaving the Mustangs in contention until Rozenkova came through with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory at No. 5 singles.
 
Tulsa had claimed the doubles point when the tandem of Megan Hopton and Laia Conde Monfort battled back from a 3-0 deficit to take a 6-3 win at No. 3 after the Golden Hurricane and Mustangs had split the the first two spots.
 
 
UCF 4, Houston 0
Records: UCF (17-4), Houston (15-8)
 
Evgeniya Levashova was a winner in both singles and doubles as top-seeded UCF took a 4-0 win against Houston in The American Championship semifinals Saturday morning.
 
The win sends the Knights to the championship final for the second straight season as UCF looks to defend its 2019 American Championship (the 2020 championship was not played).
 
Levashova was a 6-3, 6-2 winner at No. 3 singles and paired with Nadja Bay Christians for a 6-3 victory at No. 2 doubles, which gave the Knights an early 1-0 lead.
 
The singles round saw UCF build a quick 3-0 lead as Nandini Sharma scored a 6-1, 6-3 win at No. 6 and Levashova delivered her victory to put the Knights a win away from the clincher.
 
Houston’s Mimi Kendall-Woseley had forced a third set at No. 1 singles, but the Knights’ Valeriya Zeleva came through with a 6-3, 0-6, 6-2 win to end the match.
 
UCF improved to 13-0 on its home courts this season and has won 14 consecutive home matches dating to last season.
 
 
 
 
2021 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
April 22-25 | USTA National Campus | Orlando, Florida
 

First Round | Thursday, April 22
No. 8 USF 4, No. 9 Cincinnati 1
Quarterfinals | Friday, April 23
No. 3 Tulsa 4, No. 6 Memphis 1
No. 2 SMU 4, No. 7 Wichita State 0
No. 5 Houston 4, No. 4 Tulane 2
No. 1 UCF 4, USF 1
Semifinals | Saturday, April 24
Tulsa 4, SMU 0
UCF 4, Houston 0
Final | Sunday, April 25 | ESPN+
Tulsa (15-6) vs, UCF (17-4)	Noon

 
 
 
all times Eastern