UF Tennis Duo Reaches U.S. Open Third Round
Friday, August 31, 2001 | Women's Tennis
University of Florida senior Jessica Lehnhoff (Delray Beach, FL) and recent Gator graduated Whitney Laiho (Newport, RI) continued their exciting run in the U.S. Open Women's Doubles Championship, defeating Emmanuelle Gagliardi (SUI) and Meilen Tu (USA) 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 in the second round.
Laiho and Lehnhoff's potential third round opponent could be Martina Navratilova (USA) and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (ESP), the No. 7 seeded team in the draw. The veteran pair plays Tatiana Perebivnis (UKR) and Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) on Saturday.
"Whitney and Jessica played a great first set like they did in the first round," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "But they got tenative in the second set and probably didn't poach at all. They got down 3-1 in the third set, but for some reason that's when they started to relax. I'm real proud them and the attitude they had throughout the flow of the match. This was a tremendous effort."
Lehnhoff and Laiho earned an automatic wildcard into the U.S. Open after winning the 2001 NCAA Championship in May. The pair was the third different Gator duo to win the NCAA title, which has been won by a UF team four times.
Tonight’s victory by the Florida pair ties the best performance ever at the U.S. Open by an NCAA Doubles Championship team. In 1983 the Trinity tandem of Gretchen Rush and Louise Allen advanced to the third round before bowing out of the professional Grand Slam event.
Laiho and Lehnhoff's run marks only the third time that an NCAA Championship doubles team has won its first round match at the U.S. Open after receiving a wildcard entry.
In 1994 the Kansas team of Rebecca Jenson and Nora Koves won their first round match but were eliminated in the second.
Laiho and Lehnhoff's potential third round opponent could be Martina Navratilova (USA) and Arantxa Sanchez-Vicario (ESP), the No. 7 seeded team in the draw. The veteran pair plays Tatiana Perebivnis (UKR) and Tatiana Poutchek (BLR) on Saturday.
"Whitney and Jessica played a great first set like they did in the first round," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "But they got tenative in the second set and probably didn't poach at all. They got down 3-1 in the third set, but for some reason that's when they started to relax. I'm real proud them and the attitude they had throughout the flow of the match. This was a tremendous effort."
Lehnhoff and Laiho earned an automatic wildcard into the U.S. Open after winning the 2001 NCAA Championship in May. The pair was the third different Gator duo to win the NCAA title, which has been won by a UF team four times.
Tonight’s victory by the Florida pair ties the best performance ever at the U.S. Open by an NCAA Doubles Championship team. In 1983 the Trinity tandem of Gretchen Rush and Louise Allen advanced to the third round before bowing out of the professional Grand Slam event.
Laiho and Lehnhoff's run marks only the third time that an NCAA Championship doubles team has won its first round match at the U.S. Open after receiving a wildcard entry.
In 1994 the Kansas team of Rebecca Jenson and Nora Koves won their first round match but were eliminated in the second.
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