Championship Central
Interview with USF Head Coach
Interview with USF's Vera Bessonova
Awards Ceremony Video
Sights and Sounds Recap Video
Following remarkably even play across the board at the USF Varsity Courts on Sunday, the No. 41 and 3-seed USF Bulls were crowned the inaugural American Athletic Conference Women’s Tennis Champions, earning a comeback victory over the No. 32 and top-seeded Houston Cougars, 4-2.
With the win, USF secures the league’s automatic bid to the 2014 NCAA Women’s Tennis Championship, to open on campus sites May 15-17 and culminating in the final match at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga. on May 26.
USF senior Loreto Alonso, who won every No. 1 singles match in straight sets on the Championship, was named the 2014 Women’s Tennis Most Outstanding Tournament Performer. She and her partner at No. 1 doubles, Kayla Rizzolo, also took one point in the semifinal.
It would take all but one match to decide the champion, beginning with a hotly contested doubles competition. Through two matches, USF and Houston each picked up a win, with the Cougars’ Maria Cardenas and Tina Rupert downing the Bulls’ Olaya Garrido and Fanny Fracassi at No. 2. In the No. 3 slate, USF’s Vera Bessonova and Olga Martinez bettered Houston’s Rocio Martin and Charlotte Phillips, placing the point in the hands of the No. 1 matchup. Houston’s duo of Elena Kordolaimi and Despoina Vogasari were able to clinch, finishing with an 8-5 score over Alonso and Rizzolo.
The Bulls wasted no time in evening the score in singles, with Garrido taking the No. 3 contest over Rupert in straight sets, 6-3 and 6-2. A mere 15 minutes later, Houston took its lead back, with Cardenas defeating Fracassi at No. 4, 6-3 and 6-1.
USF then earned the next three points, as Martinez was able to bring the match score to 2-all with a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Phillips at No. 6. Immediately following, the No. 1 contest between ITA No. 79 Alonso and No. 95 Vogasari completed with Alonso victorious, 7-5 and 6-4.
The championship was clinched by the racquet of the Bulls’ Bessonova, who after sealing a tiebreak win the first set over Houston’s Martin, took the second set by a 6-1 tally.
Heading into the NCAA Championship, USF has now won 15 straight matches and went through the spring season undefeated at home. With the win, USF rises to 5-3 all-time against Houston.
Team Results – Championship
Doubles:
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Kordolaimi/Vogasari (HOU) def. Alonso/Rizzolo (USF): 8-5*
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Cardenas/Rupert (HOU) def. Garrido/Fracassi (USF): 8-3
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Bessonova/Martinez (USF) def. Martin/Phillips (HOU): 8-3
Singles:
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Alonso (USF) def. Vogasari (HOU): 7-5, 6-4
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Kordolaimi (HOU) did not finish vs. Rizzolo (USF)
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Garrido (USF) def. Rupert (HOU): 6-3, 6-2
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Cardenas (HOU) vs. Fracassi (USF): 6-3, 6-1
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Bessonova (USF) def. Martin (HOU): 7-6, 6-1*
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Martinez (USF) def. Phillips (HOU): 7-5, 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 4, 6, 1, 5
*deciding match
Match Duration: 3:02
2014 American Athletic Conference
Women’s Tennis Most Oustanding Tournament Performer
Loreto Alonso, No. 1 singles and doubles, Sr., USF