CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team continued play in the Miami Spring Invite Saturday at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
The Hurricanes, ranked No. 12 nationally by the ITA, split their four doubles matches and their eight singles matches, finishing 6-6 overall.
“This is unbelievable,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said of the quality of competition at the tournament. “We’ve got teams that we could justifiably be seeing in the Round of 16 at NCAAs. To be seeing them this early, in a practice setting like this, leading up to next weekend, is just going to do nothing but help us all. Great teams, great coaches, great competitors—it’s fun. Great weather.”
To begin doubles play against ninth-ranked Vanderbilt, junior Sinead Lohan and sophomore Ana Madcur topped Sydney Campbell and Emily Smith, 6-2. Junior Silvia Fuentes and redshirt sophomore Yolimar Ogando then fell to Fernanda Contreras and Astra Sharma, 1-6.
Freshman Sara Culbertson, playing in the first doubles match of her career, teamed with sophomore Clara Tanielian for a 6-2 triumph over Payton Robinette and Georgina Sellyn. Lastly, freshmen Dominika Paterova and Estela Perez-Somarriba dropped a tight contest against Emma Kurtz and Christina Rosca, 5-7.
“Much better doubles [than yesterday]. Lohan and Madcur kind of defined how they’re going to play tennis and that’s how you have to play at this level,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “You have to visualize how you want to play the game and then you have to go out there and do it. We cannot be responsive on the doubles court. I was really happy with [Paterova and Perez-Somarriba at number] one today . . . We did what we needed to do today in doubles, so I was happy with that.”
Early in singles play, during which Miami played all but one match against No. 13 Texas Tech, Ogando was forced to retire. After going ahead 2-0 on No. 81 Felicity Maltby, Ogando suffered an injury, tried to resume playing and then was unable to continue.
Sixth-ranked Lohan came up short against No. 26 Gabriela Talaba, dropping the first set in a tiebreaker and then falling into a 0-5 hole in the second, en route to a 6-7 (3-7), 1-6 defeat. It marked just the third home singles loss of her illustrious career and only the seventh time she has dropped a spring singles match.
No. 70 Perez-Somarriba notched a solid comeback win over Alex Valenstein, rebounding from losing the first set to earn a 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Shortly thereafter, Madcur fell to Sabrina Federici, 3-6, 3-6. Paterova then got Miami back on the winning track with a hard-fought three-set win, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, over Sarah Dvorak.
Facing Vanderbilt’s Payton Robinette for the second day in a row, Culbertson again triumphed, turning in a stellar performance to walk away with a 6-0, 6-2 victory.
Tanielian dropped her match to Alba Cortina-Pou, 4-6, 4-6. Fuentes then capped the action with a comeback win over Katelyn Jackson, closing it without dropping a game in the final set to tally the 4-6, 6-3, 6-0 victory.
“In singles, we played a solid team with a lot of lefties. Patterns were a little bit different, which threw some of the girls off, but I think our freshmen stepped up big today,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Domi and Estela played the type of tennis that we know they are capable of playing and those two kids are going to play a very, very important role in our success this season. So, to see them have the day that they had is big for us.”
Sunday, on the final day of the Miami Spring Invite, competition will begin at 8 a.m., with doubles competition, during which the Hurricanes will play Kentucky. Singles play will start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., and Miami will face Vanderbilt.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
SATURDAY RESULTS
Doubles Competition
Emma Kurtz/Christina Rosca (VU) def. Dominika Paterova/Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM), 7-5
Sinead Lohan/Ana Madcur (UM) def. Sydney Campbell/Emily Smith (VU), 6-2
Fernanda Contreras/Astra Sharma (VU) def. Silvia Fuentes/Yolimar Ogando (UM), 6-1
Sara Culbertson/Clara Tanielian (UM) def. Payton Robinette/Georgina Sellyn (VU), 6-2
Aldila Sutjiadi/Akvilé Para?inskaité (UK) def. No. 14 Sarah Dvorak/Sabrina Federici (TT), 7-5
Felicity Maltby/Gabriela Talaba (TT) def. Mami Adachi/Emily Fanning (UK), 6-4
Katelyn Jackson/Alex Valenstein (TT) def. Morgan Chumney/Milica Novakovic (UK), 6-1
Singles Competition
No. 26 Gabriela Talaba (TT) def. No. 6 Sinead Lohan (UM), 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
No. 81 Felicity Maltby (TT) def. Yolimar Ogando (UM), 0-2, ret.
No. 70 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Alex Valenstein (TT), 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
Dominika Paterova (UM) def. Sarah Dvorak (TT), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
Sabrina Federici (TT) def. Ana Madcur (UM), 6-3, 6-3
Silvia Fuentes (UM) def. Katelyn Jackson (TT), 4-6, 6-3, 6-0
Alba Cortina-Pou (TT) def. Clara Tanielian (UM), 4-6, 4-6
Sara Culbertson (UM) def. Payton Robinette (VU), 6-0, 6-2
No. 19 Sydney Campbell (VU) def. No. 12 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK), 6-7 (4-7), 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
No. 28 Christina Rosca (VU) def. No. 74 Akvilé Para?inskaité (UK), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Mami Adachi (UK) def. Emily Smith (VU), 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
Georgina Sellyn (VU) def. Emily Fanning (UK), 6-4, 1-6, 6-2
Emma Kurtz (VU) def. Morgan Chumney (UK), 7-5, 6-4
Fernanda Contreras (VU) def. Milica Novakovic (UK), 6-3, 6-1
SUNDAY SCHEDULE
8 a.m., Doubles: Miami vs. Kentucky (Courts 1-4) and Texas Tech vs. Vanderbilt (5-8)
As Available, Singles: Miami vs. Vanderbilt (1-4) and Kentucky vs. Texas Tech (5-8)
