@CanesWTennis Opens Main Draw Play at SE Regionals
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team got off to a quality start Friday in the main draw of the ITA Southeast Regional Championships Presented by Oracle.
The Hurricanes went 8-5 overall at Florida’s Alfred A. Ring Tennis Complex, as six players reached the second round of singles competition and one doubles pair made the quarterfinals.
“We played a ton of tennis today and had some good moments,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “This team can be really good. We just need to clean up some individual areas.”
In the opening round of doubles play, the duo of junior Sinead Lohan and freshman Dominika Paterova was the lone one to post a victory. The seventh-seeded pair in the draw downed Julia Ascua and Julianna Curtis of FGCU in a tight match, 8-7 (7-1).
Redshirt senior Maci Epstein and redshirt sophomore Yolimar Ogando dropped a 5-8 decision to FIU’s Ulyana Grib and Maryna Veksler. Facing the fifth-seeded duo of Eleni Christofi and Kennedy Shaffer of Georgia, junior Silvia Fuentes and sophomore Clara Tanielian fell, 1-8. Additionally, sophomore Ana Madcur and freshman Estela Perez-Somarriba had a 3-8 setback versus UCF’s Cortney Cesarini and Monica Matias.
In second round action, Lohan and Paterova picked up another narrow victory, edging Nadia Gizdova and Nami Otsuka of Georgia Tech, 8-6.
The Hurricanes were stellar in opening round singles competition, posting a 6-2 record. Epstein, seeded No. 9-16, and Paterova both came back from first-set defeats to take their matches. Epstein downed USF’s Vera Bessonova, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5, and Paterova dominated the final two sets to beat Anastasia Grosheva of Georgia State, 4-6, 6-2, 6-0.
Miami’s two ranked competitors both cruised to victory. No. 32 Ogando, seeded No. 5-8, topped Georgia Tech’s Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer, 6-2, 6-1, and No. 117 Madcur, seeded No. 9-16, downed Gabriela Ferreira of FIU, 6-3, 6-2.
After taking the first set against North Florida’s Irina Karangozishvili in a tiebreaker, Culbertson won the first unblemished set of her career to earn a 7-6 (7-3), 6-0 victory. Perez-Somarriba beat Olga Martinez of USF, 6-4, 6-1.
Fuentes, seeded No. 9-16, won the first set against Florida’s Spencer Liang, but dropped the match, 6-4, 2-6, 3-6. Tanielian fell to Julia Mikulski of Florida State, 2-6, 2-6.
“Tomorrow’s matchups should be fun,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We need to continue competing hard and we’ll have a great day.”
In the doubles quarterfinals, Lohan and Paterova pair will take on the nation’s No. 37 duo and the tournament’s third-seeded pair, Florida’s Liang and Anna Danilina.
Paterova will also meet Liang in her singles main draw second round match Saturday. Ogando is set to play FIU’s Grib, while Culbertson matches up against Marianna Gould of Georgia, who is seeded No. 9-16. Epstein is set to square off against Andrea Garcia of Florida State, Perez-Somarriba meets FIU’s Andrea Lazaro and Madcur opposes Marta Gonzalez of Georgia.
Also, in the first round of singles back draw play, Fuentes faces Georgia State’s Grosheva and Tanielian has a bye. Saturday’s matches will begin at 8 a.m.
Draws, as well as updates to them throughout the weekend, can be found HERE. FloTennis will have premium live video streaming, which will be available HERE.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
FRIDAY RESULTS
Singles
No. 32 [5-8] Yolimar Ogando (UM) def. Alexa Anton-Ohlmeyer (GT), 6-2, 6-1
Spencer Liang (UF) def. [9-16] Silvia Fuentes (UM), 4-6, 6-2, 6-3
Dominika Paterova (UM) def. Anastasia Grosheva (GST), 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
Sara Culbertson (UM) def. Irina Karangozishvili (UNF), 7-6 (7-3), 6-0
[9-16] Maci Epstein (UM) def. Vera Bessonova (USF), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Julia Mikulski (FS) def. Clara Tanielian (UM), 6-2, 6-2
Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Olga Martinez (USF), 6-4, 6-1
No. 117 [9-16] Ana Madcur (UM) def. Gabriela Ferreira (FIU), 6-3, 6-2
Doubles – First Round
Ulyana Grib/Maryna Veksler (FIU) def. Maci Epstein/Yolimar Ogando (UM), 8-5
[7] Sinead Lohan/Dominika Paterova (UM) def. Julia Ascua/Julianna Curtis (FGCU), 8-7 (7-1)
[5] Eleni Christofi/Kennedy Shaffer (GA) def. Silvia Fuentes/Clara Tanielian (UM), 8-1
Cortney Cesarini/Monica Matias (UCF) def. Ana Madcur/Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM), 8-3
Doubles – Round of 16
[7] Sinead Lohan/Dominika Paterova (UM) def. Nadia Gizdova/Nami Otsuka (GT), 8-6
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
Doubles – Quarterfinals
[7] Sinead Lohan/Dominika Paterova (UM) vs. No. 37 [3] Anna Danilina/Spencer Liang (UF)
Singles Main Draw – Round of 32
No. 32 [5-8] Yolimar Ogando (UM) vs. Ulyana Grib (FIU)
Dominika Paterova (UM) vs. Spencer Liang (UF)
Sara Culbertson (UM) vs. [9-16] Mariana Gould (GA)
[9-16] Maci Epstein (UM) vs. Andrea Garcia (FS)
Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) vs. Andrea Lazaro (FIU)
No. 117 [9-16] Ana Madcur (UM) vs. Marta Gonzalez (GA)
Singles Back Draw – Round of 32
Silvia Fuentes (UM) vs. Anastasia Grosheva (GST)
Clara Tanielian (UM) – BYE
