The Cavaliers faced players from around the country Friday at the Chewning Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. Fall tournaments offer tennis players a chance to experiment without the pressure from dual matches that comes in the spring season. This weekend’s campaign showed encouraging as four Cavaliers reached singles finals at the Kitty Harrison Invitational.
Second-year Katie Rolls put together one of Virginia’s best performances. On Day 1, Rolls started off the tournament strong with a 6-3, 6-4 victory over North Carolina’s graduate student Nicole Khirin. The win gave her an early victory against an ACC opponent.
Her second match was considerably more competitive. Rolls defeated Georgia senior Aysegul Mert 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 after recovering from a second-set loss to secure her place in Sunday’s final. Rolls’ run ended on Day 3 against North Carolina senior Tatum Evans. After a close first set that went to a tiebreaker, Evans defeated Rolls 7-6 (5), 6-3.
First-year Shannon Lam also won three singles matches. She defeated Duke third-year Shavit Kimchi 6-3, 4-6, with Kimchi retiring the match. On Day 2, Lam returned and won consecutive sets against North Carolina senior Theadora Rabman 6-4, 6-4. On Day 3, Lam finished the weekend with a victory. She defeated Michigan senior Reese Miller 6-4, 6-2. Lam went on to win the entire singles campaign.
On Day 1, First-year Alyssa James had a good start in Cavalier uniform as she cruised past North Carolina freshman Aya Manning 6-1, 6-1. On Day 2, she went on to defeat Charlotte freshman Elizabeth Ivanov 6-4, 6-1. On Day 3, her final against Duke second-year Eleana Yu was much closer. After an intense match, James lost both sets in tiebreakers and fell 7-6 (4), 7-6 (3).
Fourth-year Blanca Pico Navarro also had a successful campaign. On Day 1, the Cavalier opened her tournament with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Elon junior Lisa Kranec. On Day 2, she followed with another straight-set win, defeating Charlotte sophomore Amelie Drukerova 6-3, 6-3. Navarro’s run ended on Day 3 against North Carolina junior Susanna Maltby. After splitting the first two sets, Maltby defeated Pico Navarro 6-2, 1-6, 6-2.
On other courts, the rest of Virginia’s singles also produced several positive performances.
On Day 1, third-year Martina Genis Salas began her tournament with one of the weekend’s most dominant scores and defeated Elon senior Mariana Reding, 6-0, 6-2. On Day 2, Genis Salas took the opening set, yet fell short in the next set against Michigan sophomore Gabriella Lindgren after an intense match (3-6, 7-5, 6-2). On Day 3, Genis Salas bounced back with another straight-set victory against James Madison first-year Ariel Avidan (6-1, 6-3).
On Day 1, Second-year transfer Eugenia Zozaya started with a rough ride. She was defeated by UNC’s Maddy Zampardo 6-4, 6-7 (2), 6-2 after an intense match. However, she was able to overcome on Day 2 by defeating Duke first-year Claire An in a match that required a deciding super tiebreaker. After splitting the first two sets (6-4, 3-6), Zozaya won 10-7 to move forward. On Day 3, she defeated UNC’s Avery Nguyen 6-2, 6-4.
First-year Mara Gae faced a similarly tight battle. On Day 1, Michigan’s Reese Miller defeated Gae 6-4, 6-2. Gae was able to bounce back on Day 2 against North Carolina freshman Alexis Nguyen. After winning the first set 6-4 and dropping the second 4-6, Gae prevailed 14-12 in the deciding tiebreaker. On Day 3, Gae fell just short after an incredible match against Duke’s Kimchi 6-4, 2-6, 10-7.
Virginia also found success in doubles.
On Day 1, Rolls and Gae won both of their matches, first defeating Rabman and Manning 6-1 and going on to defeat Drukerova and Ivanov 6-2.
Virginia fourth-year Vivian Yang and third-year Martina Genis Salas were just as dominant. They defeated Georgia freshman duo Linea Barjaliu and Ava Rodriguez 6-1 before securing a victory 6-1 against Kranec and Warssing.
Other doubles pairings faced a more challenging road. On Day 1, Zozaya and Lam fell to North Carolina’s Khirin and Evans 6-4. Zozaya and Pico Navarro lost by the same score, 6-4, to Elon’s freshman Iga Piotrowska and junior Cornelia Kack. James and Lam also fell to Georgia’s Mert and Rodriguez 6-3.
On Day 2, Rolls and Gae fell short to UNC after an intense match ending with a score of 7-5. Yang and Salas also faced a challenge as they were defeated by the Zampardo and Maltby duo 6-4. UNC’s Shona Nakano and Andrea Chacon defeated Alyssa James and Shannon Lam 6-4.
The opening weekend at North Carolina provided Virginia with early competitive matches going into the season. Virginia showed plenty of positive signs, with four Cavaliers advancing to the singles final of their respective matches and two doubles teams combining for four victories.
The Cavaliers will head to Cary, N.C., to compete in the ITA All-American Championships that will run Sept. 19-27. The tournament is the first opportunity to qualify for the NCAA Individual Championships.
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