W. Tennis Rolls to 10-1 Mark to Start Miami Fall Invite
By Alex Schwartz
HurricaneSports.com
CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team turned in a dominant showing on its home court Friday to begin the 2019-20 season in dazzling fashion.
Five Hurricanes combined to post a 10-1 record, including a 9-1 ledger in singles action, on the opening day of the Miami Fall Invite at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.
“This is a fun group, they were excited to compete,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We want to play. Happy to get out there, happy to have a great first day.”
The tournament started with doubles competition, which featured two weather delays for a total of 50 minutes, and just one duo took the court for Miami. Senior Yuna Ito and sophomore Lucia Marzal notched a 6-3 decision over Georgia State’s Andreea Stanescu and Aleksandra Stromova for the Hurricanes’ first victory of the season.
After a two-hour delay early in singles action, second-ranked Estela Perez-Somarriba returned to the court and needed just seven minutes to finish off Georgia State’s Angel Carney. The reigning national champion posted a 6-1, 6-1 tally to begin her senior campaign.
Junior Ulyana Shirokova capped a comeback victory shortly thereafter, turning in an unblemished second set and narrowly winning a 10-point tiebreaker to defeat Alexia Alvarez of Georgia State, 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8).
Needing to rally back from a 5-6 second-set deficit, Marzal did just that to defeat FGCU’s Satomi Momose, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3). Freshman Nada Dimovska, in the first action of her college career, followed suit with a dominant 6-1, 6-0 win against Mara Pop of Georgia State.
Ito capped off a perfect opening round of singles action for the Hurricanes by defeating Georgia State’s Aleksandra Stromova, 6-3, 6-2. Then, to begin the second round of competition, Perez-Somarriba picked up another straight-set win, topping FGCU’s Sara Kelly, 6-4, 6-2.
Marzal turned in the first ranked triumph of the year by a Hurricane, registering the fourth such decision of her career by rolling past No. 103 Eva Chivu of Georgia State, 6-0, 6-1. The lone game she dropped in the stellar performance came on a deciding point.
Shirokova suffered the first defeat of the season by a Hurricane, coming up just short in her comeback bid against Florida Atlantic’s Loui McLelland in a 5-7, 6-4, 0-1 (9-11) decision.
Ito got Miami back to its winning ways by easing past Maya Ornberg of FGCU, 6-1, 6-0, marking the third singles match of the day in which a Hurricane dropped just one game. Dimovska then wrapped up the day with another thorough victory, downing Florida Atlantic’s Lauren Randle, 6-2, 6-1.
“Really happy with Nada’s start. It’s not very often that you see a freshman hit the courts like she did today,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “She raised her level; I haven’t seen Nada play this well. So, I commended her in the team meeting, [saying] that you want to be a match player, not a practice player.”
Saturday’s action will open with doubles play at 8 a.m. Ito and Marzal meet No. 55 Whitney Hekking and Madison Tattini of Utah, while Dimovska and Shirokova face Ida Ferding and Lourdes Ramalle of FGCU.
Singles competition will begin not before 9 a.m., with four Hurricanes set to play in the semifinals of their respective draws. Perez-Somarriba takes on Natalia Boltinskaya of Florida Atlantic, while Marzal and Ito square off in the other matchup of the Orange bracket.
Dimovska’s opponent in the Green semifinals is not yet determined, as one match was left unfinished Friday due to weather, and Shirokova will take on Hekking in a consolation contest.
To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
FRIDAY RESULTS
Orange Doubles Flight – Main Draw Quarterfinals
Yuna Ito/Lucia Marzal (UM) def. Andreea Stanescu/Aleksandra Stromova (GS), 6-3
Angel Carney/Eva Chivu (GS) def. Satomi Momose/Maja Ornberg (FGCU), 6-2
No. 55 Whitney Hekking/Madison Tattini (UT) def. Julia Fisch/Sara Kelly (FGCU), 6-3
Maggie Cubitt/Anna Loughlan (LSU) def. Natalia Boltinskaya/Karin Kozlejova (FAU), 6-4
Green Doubles Flight – Main Draw Quarterfinals
Ida Ferding/Lourdes Ramalle (FGCU) def. Denisa Gheorge/Damira Muminovic (GS), 7-6 (8-6)
Loui McLelland/Lauren Randle (FAU) def. Alexia Alvarez/Mara Pop (GS), 6-0
Emily Dush/Madeline Lamoreaux (UT) def. Alba Retortillo (FGCU)/Luba Vasilyuk (LSU), 7-5
Nada Dimovska/Ulyana Shirokova (UM) – BYE
Orange Singles Flight – Main Draw Round of 16
No. 2 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Angel Carney (GS), 6-1, 6-1
Sara Kelly (FGCU) def. Luba Vasilyuk (LSU), 3-6, 7-5, 1-0 (10-8)
Damira Muminovic (GS) def. Madison Tattini (UT), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
Lucia Marzal (UM) def. Satomi Momose (FGCU), 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
Yuna Ito (UM) def. Aleksandra Stromova (GS), 6-3, 6-2
No. 103 Eva Chivu (GS) def. Karin Kozlejova (FAU), 6-4, 6-1
Maya Ornberg (FGCU) def. Emily Dush (UT), walkover
Natalia Boltinskaya (FAU) – BYE
Green Singles Flight – Main Draw Round of 16
Ulyana Shirokova (UM) def. Alexia Alvarez (GS), 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (10-8)
Anna Loughlan (LSU) def. Ida Ferding (FGCU), 7-6 (7-2), 6-1
Loui McLelland (FAU) def. Julia Fisch (FGCU), 6-2, 6-1
Whitney Hekking (UT) def. Denisa Gheorge (GS), 6-2, 6-0
Nada Dimovska (UM) def. Mara Pop (GS), 6-1, 6-0
Madeline Lamoreaux (UT) def. Harris Caldwell (FAU), 6-2, 6-2
Andreea Stanescu (GS) def. Alba Retortillo (FGCU), 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9)
Lauren Randle (FAU) def. Lourdes Ramalle (FGCU), 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-6)
Orange Singles Flight – Main Draw Quarterfinals
No. 2 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Sara Kelly (FGCU), 6-4, 6-2
Natalia Boltinskaya (FAU) def. Damira Muminovic (GS), 5-7, 6-4, 1-0 (11-9)
Lucia Marzal (UM) def. No. 103 Eva Chivu (GS), 6-0, 6-1
Yuna Ito (UM) def. Maja Ornberg (FGCU), 6-0, 6-1
Orange Singles Flight – Back Draw Quarterfinals
Angel Carney (GS) vs. Luba Vasilyuk (LSU), 1-6, 6-2, 1-0 (10-7)
Karin Kozlejova (FAU) def. Satomi Momose (FGCU), 6-2, 6-2
Madison Tattini (UT) def. Aleksandra Stromova (GS), 6-2, 6-0
Emily Dush (UT) – BYE
Green Singles Flight – Main Draw Quarterfinals
Loui McLelland (FAU) def. Ulyana Shirokova (UM), 7-5, 4-6, 1-0 (11-9)
Anna Loughlan (LSU) def. Whitney Hekking (UT), 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (13-11)
Nada Dimovska (UM) def. Lauren Randle (FAU), 6-2, 6-1
Andreea Stanescu (GS) vs. Madeline Lamoreaux (UT), 6-4, 1-3, unfinished (will be completed Saturday)
Green Singles Flight – Back Draw Quarterfinals
Alexia Alvarez (GS) def. Julia Fisch (FGCU), walkover
Denisa Gheorge (GS) def. Ida Ferding (FGCU), 7-6 (7-0), 7-5
Lourdes Ramalle (FGCU) def. Mara Pop (GS), 6-1, 6-4
Alba Retortillo (FGCU) def. Harris Caldwell (FAU), 6-2, 6-4
SATURDAY SCHEDULE (MIAMI ONLY)
Orange Doubles Flight – Main Draw Semifinals
8 a.m.: Yuna Ito/Lucia Marzal (UM) vs. No. 55 Whitney Hekking/Madison Tattini (UT)
Green Doubles Flight – Main Draw Semifinals
8 a.m.: Nada Dimovska/Ulyana Shirokova (UM) vs. Ida Ferding/Lourdes Ramalle (FGCU)
Orange Singles Flight – Main Draw Semifinals
Time TBD: No. 2 Estela Perez-Somarriba vs. Natalia Boltinskaya (FAU)
Time TBD: Lucia Marzal (UM) vs. Yuna Ito (UM)
Green Singles Flight – Main Draw Semifinals
Time TBD: Nada Dimovska (UM) vs. TBD
Green Singles Flight – Main Draw Consolation
Time TBD: Ulyana Shirokova (UM) vs. Whitney Hekking (UT)
