Achong Paces W. Tennis in Miami Fall Invite

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Fourth-year junior Daevenia Achong turned in a pair of impressive wins to lead the way for the University of Miami women’s tennis team at the Miami Fall Invite.

After Friday’s action was canceled due to rain, Achong opened play Saturday morning by earning the highest-ranked victory of her career. The Geleen, Netherlands, native cruised past fifth-ranked Georgia Drummy of Duke, 6-2, 6-2, on her home court at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

Then, to cap the invitational Sunday afternoon, Achong notched a 7-5, 6-2 decision against Barry’s Deniz Khazan, a 27-year-old currently ranked No. 468 in the world and a former top-200 WTA player.

“I think Daev is just really starting to understand more about her opponents. I think she has always understood herself as a tennis player, but I think she is doing a better job of understanding her opponents and important moments in matches where you need to separate from your opponent,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “She’s been putting in the work; she’s been putting in the extra hours in the afternoon. She has been very close to pulling off a couple big wins, so to see her finally do it this weekend was great. We knew it was coming, but I’m happy for her.”

As a team, the Hurricanes finished the weekend with a 15-8 record, including an 11-6 mark in singles and 4-2 ledger in doubles. They faced competitors from four schools—Barry, Columbia, Duke and Kentucky—throughout the two days of action.

Sophomore Audrey Boch-Collins, in her first home action as a Hurricane, and third-year sophomore Diana Khodan both joined Achong in going 2-0 on the weekend. Third-year sophomore Maya Tahan also notched a pair of singles wins, finishing 2-1.

Khodan and Tahan, who competed in the NCAA Doubles Championship together last year, also turned in a splendid weekend as a duo. They won both of their matches and dropped just one game in the two competitions, first downing Shivani Amineni and Jennifer Kerr of Columbia, 6-0, and then defeating Fiona Arrese and Lidia Gonzalez of Kentuckym 6-1.

Miami ended the weekend in style, winning all seven of its matches against Barry, the four-time reigning Division II national champion. Six of those triumphs came in straight sets, with Khodan’s three-setter closing out the competition.

“I think our girls did a good job,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Yesterday, we spoke about trying to elevate our game in the big moments of matches—when matches get a little tight, when they get a little rough, when the opponent starts playing a little bit loose and you might have the lead. [We discussed] the importance of kind of elevating your game in those moments and I feel like the girls came out today and they did that.

“I think Boch-Collins did that on her court,” Yaroshuk-Tews continued. “Bella did that here in the second set. Daev did it. Same with Eden, it got a little bit tight in her second set and she was able to close it out. And [Diana] did it, as well. It’s nice to be playing at home. It’s nice to finish out our fall collegiate season at home. I’m pretty happy with where we are.”

The lone remaining fall tournament for Miami is the ITA Tour: Fall Circuit by Universal Tennis – Miami, which will be held Nov. 13-15 at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center. The event features collegians, juniors and professionals.

To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

SATURDAY RESULTS

Singles
No. 28 Chole Beck (DU) def. No. 16 Isabella Pfennig (UM), 7-6 (8-6)
Daevenia Achong (UM) def. No. 5 Georgia Drummy (DU), 6-2, 6-2
No. 25 Kelly Chen (DU) def. Eden Richardson (UM), 6-4, 6-3
Audrey Boch-Collins (UM) def. Margaryta Bilokin (DU), 6-4, 6-2
Diana Khodan (UM) def. Julia Haynes (COL), 6-2, 6-4
Clarine Lerby (COL) def. Maya Tahan (UM), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
Rachele Rimondini (COL) def. Nada Dimovska (UM), 6-1, 7-5
Shivani Amineni (COL) def. Nada Dimovska (UM), 6-3, 3-6, 3-6
Carlota Molina (UK) def. Jil Engelmann (BAR), 6-4, 6-3
Akanksha Bhan (COL) def. Elizabeth Stevens (UK), 7-5, 6-3
Carla Girbau (UK) def. Madeline Bosnjak (BAR), 6-3, 6-2
Fiona Arrese (UK) def. Anna Zhang (COL), 6-3, 6-3
Florencia Urrutia (UK) def. Kim Moosbacher (BAR), 6-0, 6-4
Lidia Gonzalez (UK) def. Sasha Wood (COL), 6-4, 6-4
Jennifer Kerr (COL) def. Daniela Farfan (BAR), 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Melissa Sakar (COL) def. Clara Versier (BAR), 6-2, 6-1
Sophia Strugnell (COL) def. Ajda Bukovec (BAR), 6-3, 6-3

Doubles
Daevenia Achong/Eden Richardson (UM) def. Akanksha Bhan/Anna Zhang (COL), 7-5
Diana Khodan/Maya Tahan (UM) def. Shivani Amineni/Jennifer Kerr (COL), 6-0
Sophia Strugnell/Sasha Wood (COL) def. Audrey Boch-Collins/Isabella Pfennig (UM), 6-4
Carla Girbau/Florencia Urrutia (UK) def. Rachele Rimondini/Melissa Sakar (COL), 6-3
Chole Beck/Margaryta Bilokin (DU) def. Carlota Molina/Elizabeth Stevens (UK), 6-2
Kelly Chen/Georgia Drummy (DU) def. Madeline Bosnjak/Deniz Khazan (BAR), 6-4
Daniela Farfan/Kim Moosbacher (BAR) def. Fiona Arrese/Lidia Gonzalez (UK), 6-2
Julia Haynes/Clarine Lerby (COL) def. Jil Engelmann/Clara Versier (BAR), 6-4

SUNDAY RESULTS

Singles
Maya Tahan (UM) def. Rachele Rimondini (COL), 6-2, 7-5
Julia Haynes (COL) def. Nada Dimovska (UM), 6-3, 6-2
Akanksha Bhan (COL) def. No. 5 Georgia Drummy (DU), 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-1)
No. 28 Chloe Beck (DU) def. Carlota Molina (UK), 6-0, 6-2
Margaryta Bilokin (DU) def. Anna Zhang (COL), 6-1, 6-2
No. 25 Kelly Chen (DU) def. Elizabeth Stevens (UK), 6-3, 6-1
Jennifer Kerr (COL) def. Carla Girbau (UK), 6-3, 2-6, 6-1
Melissa Sakar (COL) def. Fiona Arrese (UK), 6-1, 6-4
Florencia Urrutia (UK) def. Clarine Lerby (COL), 6-0, 3-0, ret.
Lidia Gonzalez (UK) def. Shivani Amineni (COL), 6-4, 6-2
Daevenia Achong (UM) def. Deniz Khazan (BAR), 7-5, 6-2
No. 16 Isabella Pfennig (UM) def. Jil Engelmann (BAR), 6-4, 7-5
Eden Richardson (UM) def. Madeline Bosnjak (BAR), 6-1, 6-4
Diana Khodan (UM) def. Kim Moosbacher (BAR), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Audrey Boch-Collins (UM) def. Daniela Farfan (BAR), 6-3, 6-2
Maya Tahan (UM) def. Clara Versier (BAR), 6-3, 6-2
Nada Dimovska (UM) def. Ajda Bukovec (BAR), 6-1, 6-1

Doubles
Carlota Molina/Elizabeth Stevens (UK) def. Daevenia Achong/Eden Richardson (UM), 6-4
Diana Khodan/Maya Tahan (UM) def. Fiona Arrese/Lidia Gonzalez (UK), 6-1
Audrey Boch-Collins/Isabella Pfennig (UM) def. Carla Girbau/Florencia Urrutia (UK), 6-2
Chloe Beck/Margaryta Bilokin (DU) def. Madeline Bosnjak/Deniz Khazan (BAR), 6-1
Daniela Farfan/Kim Moosbacher (BAR) def. Shivani Amineni/Julia Haynes (COL), 7-6 (8-6)
Sophia Strugnell/Sasha Wood (COL) def. Jil Engelmann/Clara Versier (BAR), 6-3
Chloe Beck/Margaryta Bilokin (DU) def. Akanksha Bhan/Anna Zhang (COL), 6-3