Eichkorn Wins Singles Title at UM Women's Tennis Invite
Nov. 9, 2008
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Coral Gables, Fla. – University of Miami sophomore Bianca Eichkorn collected a come-from-behind win against FIU’s Liset Brito on Sunday afternoon, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4, to claim the individual title at this year’s University of Miami Women’s Tennis Fall Invitational at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center in Coral Gables, Fla.
Eichkorn, ranked No. 109 in the preseason polls, dropped the first set, 6-3, after leading 3-1 at one time. Brito, ranked No. 79 in the ITA polls, entered Sunday’s final round with a 1-1 record on the weekend after dropping a match to FSU’s Lauren Macfarlane (No. 53) and defeating Elvira Serrot of UCF.
Eichkorn battled back to win six consecutive games in the second frame after falling behind 2-0 early-on. In the third and decisive set, Eichkorn simply overpowered the FIU top-position player with dominating shots, while also forcing Brito into errors to take the 6-4 decision.
Eichkorn finished as the only 3-0 player at the top position on the weekend, and earned the individual singles title for the first-year event. She finishes the fall campaign with a record of 15-3 overall, and owns a mark of 7-3 against nationally ranked opponents. She has won eight of her last 10 matches overall, and has a three-match winning streak right now.
In the second match, sophomore and 49th-ranked Michaela Kissell, just arriving back from the National Indoor Championships, battled FIU’s Priscilla Castillo in a three-set affair that saw the Hostetter, Pennsylvania native come away with a 6-1, 5-7, 6-4 advantage. Kissell had three chances at match-point down the stretch, but a double-fault and long shot kept it at deuce or ad-in for nearly 15 minutes. Finally, Kissell landed a shot down the right line to walk away with the win in her only action of the weekend.
Kissell ends her fall campaign with a mark of 10-5 overall, including two wins against nationally ranked competition thus far.
Freshman Gabriela Mejia earned a win in her only singles match of the day, breezing through FIU’s Maria Dolorez Pazo, 6-3, 6-1. Junior Claudia Wasilewski fell in a tough 3-6, 6-3, 0-6 match against Maria Spenceley (FIU), while freshman Alessa Waibel ended her fall season with a loss to Maria Vallasciani on scores of 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.
Miami earned their first doubles wins of the weekend for the tournament on Sunday as Eichkorn and All-American Laura Vallverdu–playing her first action at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center on the weekend, took an 8-1 victory over Florida State’s duo of Lauren Macfarlane and Federica Suess.
The Hurricanes continued their newfound doubles awakening as Mejia and Kissell combined for a win over FSU’s Jessica Wente and Bonny Davidson, 1-0, ret. following an injury during the first set to FSU’s Davidson. Wasilewski and Waibel also won their doubles match against UCF’s team comprised of Isa Ohlinger and Katie Orletsky, 8-3.
The doubles champions for the weekend came from nearby FIU as the duo of Brito and Castillo swept their way to a 3-0 weekend. They defeated UCF’s Elvira Serrot and Andrea Yacaman, 8-4, to claim the title early Sunday morning.
This was the last event of the fall campaign for the Hurricanes, as they will look to get ready for what is expected to be a great spring season. For more information on the UM Women’s Tennis Fall Invitational, as well as all Hurricanes athletics, please log on to www.hurricanesports.com.
