Six Women's Tennis Players Advance At ITA Southest Regional
Oct 17, 2003 | Women's Tennis
Oct. 17, 2003
FORT WORTH, Texas - - Six of Tulane's seven singles players advanced to the Round of 32, and all seven won at least one match, at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Southwest Region Women's Tennis Championship, held at TCU's Friedman Tennis Center on Friday.
The Green Wave were led by sophomore Julie Smekodub, the tournament's defending champ and this season's No. 1 seed. She posted a 6-1, 1-6, 6-2 win over North Texas' Katherine Harris in the first round before adding a 5-7, 6-4, 7-6 win over Texas-San Antonio's Chantal Lesaar in the Round of 64.
Junior Maria Ivanov started her day with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Rice's Melissa Back in the Round of 128 and then cruised to a 6-2, 6-0 win over Texas A&M's eighth seeded Helga Viera to reach the third round.
Sophomore and reigning Conference USA Player of the Year Jenny Kuhn, the tournament's No. 5 seed, had a 6-1, 6-1 win over SMU's Halley Rambally in the first round before adding a 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 win over Texas A&M's Nicki Mecham in the second.
Erika Valdes, the No. 9 seed, topped UNO's Inge Veerman, 6-4, 6-3, in the first round and then posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory over Baylor's Iva Mihaylova in the Round of 64.
Ana Saaibi opened with a 6-4, 6-3 win over SMU's Allison Leuszler before notching a 6-2, 6-4 win over North Texas' Ingrid Stockinger to advance to the third round.
Freshman Darya Ivanov had a 6-2, 6-3 win over UL Lafayette's Celine Vanweydeveld in the first round before posting a 7-5, 5-7, 6-2 win over Texas-Arlington's Daniela Novakova.
Junior Nancy Kockott opened the day with a 6-2, 6-2 win over UNO's Jaetitia Zambski, but dropped a 6-2, 6-0 decision to Rice's Lauren Archer in the second round. Archer is the tournament's No, 8 seed.
In doubles action, all three Tulane teams in action advanced to Saturday's second round. The duo of Julie Smekodub and freshman Darya Ivanov, the draw's No. 2 seeded team, cruised to an 8-2 win over Stephen F. Austin's team of Harrison and Houston and will face the Texas's tandem of Breece and Krinke on Saturday. The Wave team of Ana Saaibi and Erika Valdes, seeded eighth, was an 8-3 winner over Baylor's team of Mihaylova and Mijic and will face the TCU team of Chay and Lopez in the Round of 32. Tulane's pairing of Maria Ivanov and Nancy Kockott topped SMU's team of Carson and Kouzmenko, 9-8, to reach the second round. The SMU duo were seeded ninth.
Smekodub won the ITA Southwest Region singles title last season and teamed with Kuhn to win the doubles crown as well. The duo would go on to win the ITA National Indoor Doubles championship last fall.
Action continues at the Southwest Regional on Saturday.
