MEMPHIS, Tenn. – A busy opening round saw five teams pick up victories to move on to the quarterfinals of the American Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Championship Thursday at the Leftwich Tennis Center.
 
UTSA and Memphis battled to 4-3 wins to reach Friday’s quarterfinals, while Tulsa scored a shutout victory and Wichita State and Tulane also took first-round decisions.
 
Friday’s quarterfinals will see the tournament’s top eight seeds in action as each higher-seeded team won its respective first-round match Thursday.. 
 
Complete coverage of The American Tennis Championships, including live scoring of each match, can be found on the conference’s Championship Central site. 
 
 
UTSA 4, UAB 3
Records: UTSA (18-4), UAB (14-9)
 
Vittoria Baccino’s three-set win at No. 3 singles lifted UTSA to a 4-3 win against Memphis Thursday morning in a first round match.
 
The Roadrunners overcame a 3-1 deficit after UAB had scored straight-set wins the first three singles positions to finish, including a 6-4, 6-2 victory at No. 6 that left UTSA one win away from advancing to the quarterfinals.
 
But Arina Babenko kept the match alive with a 7-5, 7-5 win at No. 4 and Letizia Corsini won a third-set tiebreaker with a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (1) win to set the stage for the match at No. 3. Baccino dropped the first set in a tiebreaker, but came back to score a 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-2 win to send the Roadrunners to a quarterfinal match against top-seeded Florida Atlantic.
 
Babenko was a winner in both singles and doubles for UTSA, which improved to 18-4 win the win.
 
 
Tulsa 4, Temple 0
Records: Tulsa (17-7), Temple (7-13)
 
No. 4-seeded Tulsa scored three straight-set wins in singles after claiming the doubles point to advance to the quarterfinal round of The American Championship with a 4-0 win against No. 13-seeded Temple Thursday morning.
 
Maria Berlanga Bandera and Mariana Manyoma Velasquez were winners in both singles and doubles for the Golden Hurricane, which improved to 18-6 all-time in the conference tournament as Tulsa began its quest for a fourth tournament title.
 
Berlanga Bandera, who is ranked No. 86 on this week’s ITA singles chart, was a 7-5, 6-2 winner at No. 1 singles and paired with Lily Hutchings for a 6-2 decision in doubles.
 
Manyoma Velasquez was first-to-finish in singles with a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 and paired with Ana Naranjo Martinez for a 6-3 victory at No. 2 doubles.
 
 
Wichita State 4, East Carolina 1
Records: Wichita State (13-8), East Carolina (7-13)
 
Xin Tong Wang won at the No. 1 singles and doubles positions to lead No. 5 seeded Wichita State past No. 12-seeded East Carolina Thursday afternoon in a first-round contest.
 
Wang, who is ranked No. 120 by the ITA in singles and No. 77 in doubles, was a 6-1, 6-3 singles winner and paired with Giorgia Roselli for a 6-2 victory at the top doubles spot.
 
East Carolina was paced by Xenia Jeromin, who took a 6-2, 6-4 win at No. 4 singles.
 
The Shockers’ Anne Knuettel picked up the clinching point with a 7-6 (5), 6-4 win at No. 6 singles.
 
Wichita State, ranked No. 58 on the ITA team chart this week, advances to a quarterfinal match against No. 4-seeded Tulsa Friday at noon CT.
 
 
Tulane 4, North Texas 2
Records: Tulane (12-10), North Texas (11-11)
 
Campbell Ricci and Leigh Van Zyl took wins at both singles and doubles as No. 7-seeded Tulane was a 4-2 winner against No. 10-seeded North Texas in a first-round match Thursday.
 
Ricci, the Green Wave’s standout freshman, won a three-set battle at No. 1 singles and paired with Van Zyl for a 6-4 victory at No. 1 doubles. The singles victory was the 15th consecutive win for Ricci, who improved to 19-6 in the 2024-25 season.
 
Ricci’s 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 win at No. 1 singles clinched the match after the Mean Green picked up its second team point on Stadfany Nformi’s three-set marathon victory at No. 2 singles, 3-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7). 
 
Van Zyl was a straight-set winner at No. 3 singles for Tulane after she paired with Ricci for the win in doubles.
 
Tulane advances to the quarterfinal round of the tournament, where the Green Wave will face No. 2-seeded Rice Friday.
 
 
Memphis 4, South Florida 3
Records: Memphis (7-13), South Florida (6-15)
 
Alice Amendola won a three-set battle at No. 5 singles to send No. 6-seeded Memphis to the quarterfinal round of the American Championship with a 4-3 win against No. 11 South Florida Thursday night.
 
The Tigers needed to take four of the six singles matches after the Bulls had opened the match by taking the doubles point. Memphis responded by getting straight-set wins at No. 2 and No. 4 singles from Sofia Mykhailets and Emily Meyer, but the Bulls tied the match on Kelly Vargas’ 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 6.
 
Leonie Moeller followed with a 6-4, 6-2 win at No. 1 to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead, meaning that South Florida would have to take both remaining courts to get the win. The Bulls’ Sienna Leeson delivered a tough 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1 victory to forge a 3-3 tie, but Amendola was able to end it in three sets as she held on for a 7-5, 4-6, 6-3 decision.
 
The Tigers advance to face No. 3-seeded Charlotte in Friday’s quarterfinal round at 6 p.m. CT,.
 

2025 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE WOMEN’S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
April 17-20 | Leftwich Tennis Center | Memphis, Tennessee
 

First Round | Thursday, April 17
Match 1: No. 8 UTSA 4, No. 9 UAB 3
Match 2: No. 4 Tulsa 4, No. 13 Temple 0
Match 3: No. 5 Wichita State 4, No. 12 East Carolina 1
Match 4: No. 7 Tulane 4, No. 10 North Texas 2
Match 5: No. 6 Memphis 4, No. 11 South Florida 3
Quarterfinals | Friday, April 18
Match 6: No. 8 UTSA (18-4) vs. No. 1 Florida Atlantic (15-0)	9 a.m.
Match 7: No. 5 Wichita State (13-8) vs. No. 4 Tulsa (17-7)	Noon
Match 8: No. 7 Tulane (12-10) vs. No. 2 Rice (16-5)	3 p.m.
Match 9: No. 6 Memphis (7-13) vs. No. 3 Charlotte (20-4)	6 p.m.
Semifinals | Saturday, April 19
Match 10: Match 4 winner vs. Match 5 winner	2 p.m.
Match 11: Match 6 winner vs. Match 7 winner	2 p.m.
Final | Sunday, April 20 | ESPN+
Semifinal winners	2 p.m.
all times Central