Freshmen Lead Women's Tennis At Labor Day Tournament
Sep 3, 2002 | Women's Tennis
Sept. 3, 2002
MOBILE, Ala. - - Tulane women's tennis freshmen Jenny Kuhn and Julie Smekodub met in the finals of the Country Club of Mobile Labor Day Collegiate Tournament, with Kuhn taking top honors with a 7-5, 6-3 victory on Monday.
"It was a very good beginning for our players," Tulane head coach David Schumacher said. "Julie and Jenny both showed that they can have an immediate impact this year. As a team, we were 5-1in singles against players from South Alabama, a team that finished the 2002 season ranked 26th by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association."
Kuhn opened the tournament with a win over Mississippi State's Yumi Udea before posting a 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 win over South Alabama's 37th ranked Viktoria Stoklasova in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Kuhn recorded a 6-1, 6-1 victory over teammate Ana Saaibi to reach her championship match-up with Smekodub.
Smekodub defeated three players from South Alabama on her way to the finals, opening the tournament with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Dominika Nemcavicova. She follwed that with a 6-3, 6-1 triumph over Katarina Palenikova and a 7-6, 6-1 win over Marilene Jager in the semifinals.
Saaibi upset USA's Andrea Kurakova in the first round before topping Mississippi State's Magdi Rekasi to reach the semifinals. Senior Julie Morris, ranked 98th by the ITA, opened the tournament with a 6-0, 6-0 win over Mississippi State's Justyna Switala in the first round.
In doubles action, the Tulane tandem of Morris and Saaibi reached the finals where the dropped an 6-4, 6-4 decision to the South Alabama duo of Stoklasova and Jager. Kuhn and Morris fell to the Ole Miss team of Audra Adams and Virginia Tomatis, 6-2, 2-6, 10-5.
The members of the Tulane women's tennis team will play in various individual tournaments throughout the fall semester. Tulane will play host to the Green Wave Classic beginning Oct. 4 at the Goldring Tennis Complex. The tournament will feature some of the top collegiate players in the nation, including players from No. 10 Texas, No. 26 South Alabama, No. 28 TCU and No. 51 LSU.
