Smekodub Wins First Match At NCAA Tennis Tournament
May 19, 2003 | Women's Tennis
May 19, 2003
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - - Freshman Julie Smekodub rallied from a set down to win her first round match in the singles draw of the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships, held at Florida's Ring Tennis Complex on Monday.
Smekodub, a freshman from Brooklyn, N.Y., dropped her first set 2-6 to Miami's Melissa Applebaum, but cruised in the final two sets to claim a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win in the opening round. Smekodub is currently ranked 33rd in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) poll, while Applebaum is ranked 58th. Smekodub becomes just the second player in Tulane history to win a match in the NCAA singles draw, joining Anna Monhartova, who posted a first-round win at the 2001 tournament.
Smekodub next advances to the NCAA Round of 32 where she will face UCLA's Jackie Carleton. Carleton, a 9-16 alphabetical seed, turned in a 6-3, 6-2 win over Oregon's Courtney Nagle on Monday. Carleton is currently ranked 20th by the ITA.
Fellow freshman Jenny Kuhn was not as fortunate, however, dropping her first round match, 6-4, 6-2 to Penn's Alice Pirsu. Kuhn is ranked 61st by the ITA, while Pirsu is ranked 23rd.
Kuhn will return to action on Tuesday, however, as she and Smekodub will team up to face Oklahoma's Heather Saluri and Anda Perianu in the doubles portion of the NCAA Tournament. Kuhn and Smekodub are ranked 10th by the ITA, while Salurio and Perianiu are ranked 30th.
