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A Tennis Channel national audience, along with 1200 fans in the stands at the USTA National Campus, witnessed UCF knocking off ITA No. 48/USTA No. 18 Florida for the first time in school history with a thrilling 4-3 win. The Knights dropped the doubles point and then in singles each team claimed three opening sets. UCF won the first two matches to finish with Natalia Serrano and Rebeka Stolmar winning in straight sets at No. 3 and No. 5 but Florida’s Victor Emma evened it up with a straight set win at No. 4. UCF’s Ksenia Kuznetsova put the Knights in front 3-2 with a 6-2, 7-6 win at No. 2 but Florida’s No. 1 Ida Jarlskog countered with a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 win at the top of the lineup. 

The match would be decided in a third set at No. 6 between UCF redshirt freshman Nandini Sharma and Florida freshman Anastasia Kharitonov. Kharitonov served for the match up 5-4 in the third but Sharma would break, hold, and break again to set off a wild celebration.

Im just so happy for them, said UCF head coach Bryan Koniecko, Its a big win for our program, its been a lot of work with our team, Cristina, our assistant coach, has done an incredible job working hard in helping push them hard every day. In the summer, we ask the girls to play 11 months of tennis and they do it. All of that is for moments like this.

Florida Head Coach Roland Thornqvist
Overall thoughts on match
“I was really pleased with our performance in doubles. We did put in some great work this past week and we focused a lot on it and I think our group really responded to it. It’s positive of course to see McCartney (Kessler) and Victoria (Emma) really find their feet. I mean that’s really going to help this team. Tonight it came down to one of our freshmen, who had the lead and lost it, but really it’s going to be a great learning experience for her and the team as a whole. It’s going to be a long trip home for us, clearly, but we are going to have to continue to work and look towards the long term because we are getting better. We may not see it now, but I really feel like we are improving.”

The USTA also had a nice recap with plenty of photos so check it out here

#30 UCF 4, #48 Florida 3
Feb 24, 2019 at Orlando, Fla. (USTA National Campus)
Singles Competition
1. #12 Ida Jarlskog (UF) def. #29 Valeriya Zeleva (UCF) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
2. Ksenia Kuznetsova (UCF) def. #33 McCartney Kessler (UF) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Rebeka Stolmar (UCF) def. Marlee Zein (UF) 6-4, 6-1
4. #52 Victoria Emma (UF) def. #119 Marie Mattel (UCF) 6-4, 6-2
5. Natalia Serrano (UCF) def. Tsveta Dimitrova (UF) 6-3, 6-2
6. Nandini Sharma (UCF) def. Anastasia Kharitonov (UF) 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Doubles Competition
1. #22 Valeriya Zeleva/Ksenia Kuznetsova (UCF) def. Victoria Emma/McCartney Kessler (UF) 6-4
2. Ida Jarlskog/Tsveta Dimitrova (UF) def. Rebeka Stolmar/Marie Mattel (UCF) 6-3
3. Anastasia Kharitonov/Marlee Zein (UF) def. Nandini Sharma/Natalia Serrano (UCF) 6-1
Match Notes:
Florida 3-3; National ranking #48
UCF 8-2; National ranking #30
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1,2); Singles (5,3,4,2,1,6)
College MatchDay – Television: Tennis Channel
Official: Pardon
T-3:20 A-1217

 

 

ITA No. 3/USTA No. 4 Duke came back from a 3-1 deficit on the road to defeat ITA No. 18/USTA No. 17 Miami 4-3. The Canes took the doubles point and picked up straight set wins at No. 1 and No. 6 while Duke got straight set wins at No. 2, No. 3, and No. 5. Duke senior Kaitlyn McCarthy fought off a match point in the second set, after Miami freshman Carla Girbau double faulted at 6-4, 6-5 (40/40), to come back and clinch with a 4-6, 7-6(2), 6-3 win. 

We switched our doubles teams around today to try to find some energy, head coach Jamie Ashworth said. We thought Hannah Zhao would give us a little more energy. Nothing against Maria, we just thought the combination of Kelly [Chen] and Hannah would give us energy. We had the energy but we didnt execute. We had opportunities but we have to do a better job at finishing points and putting the ball away. We have to be a bit tougher. In singles, that was just a gritty, tough ACC road match. We didnt play great and it took us a bit to get used to the conditions. It was the first time weve played in 85-degree weather and wind. Kellys win was huge to get us on the board quick.

Kaitlyn has been great for us for four years in dual matches, especially in conference play, Ashworth said. I told her that I wanted her to fist pump her teammates every point to look at them and do everything you can to involve the team because it was a team effort. She wasnt alone. She did a great job of setting an example of what needs to be done if youre the last person on the court. You have to play to win and not just hope to win.

“If you don’t fight in this conference, you have no shot. So, the fact that we fought is something we talk about as being a given,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said of the way her team competed. “Honestly, I’m really not that impressed with the fact that we showed up and fought because that’s got to be a given at this level, in this conference. Obviously, I’m proud that they decided to do it today, but . . . the effort, that’s something we’ve got to bring every day, whether we’re playing the bottom teams in our conference or the top teams.”

“You’ve got a freshman out there battling until the end against a senior,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “You’ve got Lucia down on Court 6 coming up with a big win for her, another freshman in the lineup. [Our team] played a good match.”

#3/#4 Duke 4, #18/#17 Miami 3
2/24/2019 at Coral Gables, Fla. (Neil Schiff Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #7 E. Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. #22 Maria Mateas (DU) 6-0, 6-4
2. #18 Meible Chi (DU) def. Daniella Roldan (UM) 7-6 (7-4), 6-4
3. #26 Kelly Chen (DU) def. Daevenia Achong (UM) 6-0, 6-1
4. #108 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) def. Carla Girbau (UM) 4-6, 7-6 (7-2), 6-3
5. Margaryta Bilokin (DU) def. Ana Madcur (UM) 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
6. Lucia Marzal (UM) def. #123 Ellyse Hamlin (DU) 6-4, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. Daevenia Achong/Daniella Roldan (UM) def. #18 Ellyse Hamlin/Kaitlyn McCarthy (DU) 7-5
2. E. Perez-Somarriba/Ulyana Shirokova (UM) def. Kelly Chen/Hannah Zhao (DU) 6-4
3. Margaryta Bilokin/Meible Chi (DU) def. Ana Madcur/Lucia Marzal (UM) 6-2
Match Notes:
Duke 9-1, 2-0 ACC; National ranking #3
Miami 6-3, 0-2 ACC; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,1,6,2,5,4)
Match briefly halted during singles play due to rain

 

 

Gonzaga beat No. 15 Washington State for the first time in school history and in the process also picked up its first ever top 15 win. The Bulldogs jumped out to the early lead by taking the doubles point with wins at 1 and 3 and then they added quick straight set singles wins from Sophie Whittle and Graciela Rosas at 1 and 2. Washington State pulled to within 3-2 after winning in straights at 4 and 5 but Gonzaga’s Kate Ketels clinched the upset with a 6-2, 7-6(10) win at No. 6

“The difference today was our energy,” head coach D.J. Gurule said. “We went into the match with a great mentality. Even when things were tight, we just kept our energy up. WSU is a super-talented team and well-coached. I’m proud of the way we battled today, and hopefully this will give our team confidence moving forward.”

“I was impressed with how Gonzaga competed today,” said WSU Head Coach Lisa Hart. “They played a great match and deserved to win today. We will regroup and get ready for another opportunity Thursday against Kansas State.”

#47 Gonzaga 5 def. #15 Washington State 2
February 24, 2019 at Spokane, Wash (Stevens Tennis Center)
Doubles Competition
1. Sophie Whittle/Graciela Rosas (GU) def. Tiffany Mylonas/Hikaru Sato (WSU) 6-4
2. Melisa Ates/Yang Lee (WSU) def. Sara Komer/Vlada Medvedcova (GU) 6-4
3. Kate Ketels/Haruna Tsuruta (GU) def. Michaela Bayerlova/Aneta Miksovska (WSU) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
Singles Competition
1. #4 Sophie Whittle (GU) def. #36 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) 6-0, 6-3
2. Graciela Rosas (GU) def. Hikaru Sato (WSU) 6-1, 6-3
3. Domonique Garley (GU) def. Tiffany Mylonas (WSU) 6-7, 6-4, 6-2
4. Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Haruna Tsuruta (GU) 6-4, 6-3
5. #106 Melisa Ates (WSU) def. Vlada Medvedcova (GU) 6-2, 6-4
6. Kate Ketels (GU) def. Aneta Miksovska (WSU) 6-2, 7-6 (12-10)
Order of Finish: 2,1,5,4,6,3

 

Top-ranked Ohio State pushed its record to 15-0 with a 6-1 win over ITA No. 12/USTA No. 17 Notre Dame. The only thing that slowed down the Buckeyes was a power outage in Columbus that delayed the start of the match by 90 minutes. Once play got underway the Buckeyes took the doubles point and then won all but three sets in singles though there were plenty of close sets with five going to a tiebreak (six if you count the supertiebreak played at No. 4). 

#1 Ohio State 6, #12/#17 Notre Dame 1
Feb 24, 2019 at Columbus, Ohio
Sinlges Competition
1. #1 JJ Wolf (OSU) def. #15 Alex Lebedev (ND) 7-5, 6-3
2. #30 John McNally (OSU) def. #93 Richard Ciamarra (ND) 6-3, 6-4
3. Kyle Seelig (OSU) def. Tristan McCormick (ND) 6-3, 7-6 (4)
4. Martin Joyce (OSU) def. Axel Nefve (ND) 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4), 1-0 (10-3)
5. #91 Alex Kobelt (OSU) def. Matt Gamble (ND) 7-6 (11), 6-3
6. #60 William Howells (ND) def. Hunter Tubert (OSU) 6-4, 7-6 (4)
Doubles competition
1. JJ Wolf/Martin Joyce (OSU) def. #17 Richard Ciamarra/Tristan McCormick (ND) 6-1
2. #3 Alex Kobelt/Kyle Seelig (OSU) vs. Alex Lebedev/Axel Nefve (ND) 5-4, unfinished
3. John McNally/Hunter Tubert (OSU) def. Matt Gamble/Grayson Broadus (ND) 6-4
Match Notes:
Notre Dame 8-6; National ranking #12
Ohio State 15-0; National ranking #1
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (2,1,3,5,6,4)
Official: Marcus Lee

 

Other Men’s Scores:
  • #6 Stanford def. #40 Cal 4-2 – Cardinal dropped the doubles point but picked up four straight set wins at 1, 2, 3, & 5 (Stanford’s Alex Rotsaert didn’t play)
  • #10 Columbia def. #43 Northwestern 7-0 – Lions won 12 of 14 sets in singles
  • #13 TCU won at Tulane 4-3 – Horned Frogs took dubs and the top 3 singles spots with Alex Rybakov making iit 4-2 after a 6-1, 7-6 win at 1
  • #15 Oregon won at Wisconsin 4-3 – Ducks came back from 3-2 down with wins at 3 (7-6, 6-0) and 4 (7-6, 7-6) – Thomas Laurent tied the school’s all-time singles wins record at 93
  • #18 Michigan won at Cleveland State 5-2 – Wolverines won the dubs decider in a tiebreak and then added four straight set wins
  • #21 Oklahoma def. #49 Kentucky 4-3 (@Lake Nona) – OU came back from 3-1 down with a straight set win at 2, a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 win at 1, and a 6-2, 7-6(5) win by Max Stewart to clinch at 6
  • #23 Penn won at William & Mary 4-3 – Quakers came back from 3-1 down winning the final two matches at 2 (6-2, 6-7, 6-1) and 4 (6-7, 6-1, 6-2)
  • #31 South Carolina def. Georgia State 5-2 – Gamecocks won two of the final three matches 6-4 in the third
  • #33 Harvard def. #36 Memphis 5-2 – Crimson beat Memphis for the first time in five tries with Steven Sun making it 4-0 after a 6-4, 7-5 win at 5 
  • Arizona State def. #41 San Diego 4-3 – Sun Devils won a very close doubles point (7-5 & 7-6) and then came back from 3-2 down with Ponwith winning 6-7, 6-3, 6-2 at 2 and Andrea Bolla winning 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 at 3
  • Cornell def. #42 Iowa 5-2 – Big Red won dubs decider in a tiebreak and added three straight set wins at 1, 2, and 3 to clinch at 4-0
 
Other Women’s Scores:
  • #20 Pepperdine won at #10 Northwestern 5-2 – Waves won dubs and the first three singles matches to finish (5 of 6 singles matches went the distance)
  • #2 North Carolina def. #27 Michigan – Tar Heels took dubs and Makenna Jones made it 4-2 with a 7-6, 6-1 win at No. 2 (all matches finished in straight sets)
  • #8 Kansas def. #44 Air Force 7-0 – Jayhawks won every completed set in singles with 9 of the 12 by a 6-3 score or better
  • #9 Texas won at #45 Rice 6-1 – Horns dropped dubs but picked up quick straight set wins at 1, 2, & 4 – added three sets wins on other courts 
  • #11 Ohio State def. TCU 7-0 – Buckeyes won 12 of 13 sets in singles in this neutral site match played in Tempe
  • #14 Virginia def. Virginia Tech 6-1 – Cavs won four singles matches in straight sets 
  • #23 NC State def. #36 Boston College 5-2 – Pack won dubs and Bianca Moldovan clinched at No. 5 with a 6-2, 6-1 win (match played indoors on four courts)
  • #24 Cal def. #17 USC 5-2 – Bears clinched at 4-0 with a 6-3, 6-3 win at No. 5 from Maria Smith
  • #28 Oklahoma won at South Florida 4-1 – Sooners won dubs and picked up straight set wins at 2, 3, and 6 – USF was leading the two unfinished matches
  • #32 Kentucky won at #39 SMU 4-1 – Cats won a close doubles point and then cruised to straight set wins at 4, 5, and 6