The University of Florida women's tennis team assured itself of winning at least one title at its own Gator Fall Classic, as senior Julia Scaringe (Marietta, GA) and freshman Jennifer Magley (Bradenton, FL) both reached the final of the Flight A Singles draw.
The Gators play each other for the title at Linder Stadium at Ring Tennis Complex beginning at 8:30 a.m. Admission is free.
Following the singles match, Magley and Scaringe then pair to play in the semifinal round of the Flight A Doubles draw against FAU's Maria Aguirre-Gomez and Tania Rivera. The other half of the draw features UCF's Marieke Gunawan and Julie Pecastaing and FSU's Amberly Tantee and Daniela Gheorghe.
"It's awesome that Julia and I are both in the final because that means we're 100 percent sure of a Gator taking home a championship," Magley said. "Hopefully it will be a good match and we both have some fun."
Also in action on Sunday is Gator freshman Natalie Mikolich (Boca Raton, FL), who pairs with Miami's Sara Robbins in the final of the Flight B Doubles draw. Mikolich and Robbins face Miami's Sihem Bennacer and Ewleina Skaza for the title. That match will begin approximately 45 minutes following the conclusion of the singles matches.
Magley advanced to her first collegiate singles final with a pair of impressive victories on Saturday, including her 6-3, 6-2 quarterfinal upset win over 35th-ranked Anca Dumitrescu of FSU. After eliminating the highest-ranking player in the singles draw, Magley then out-dualed Miami's Staci Stevens 6-4, 6-1.
"Today was extremely hot and I knew that the matches weren't necessarily going to be about strategy and technique, it was going to be about heart and the competitive nature of the game," Magley said. "I felt I was really focused on the right elements."
Not to be outdone, Scaringe tamed the second-highest ranked player in the tournament field with her 6-3, 6-2 semifinal victory over Miami's 41st-ranked Mari Toro. Scaringe, who like Magley is unranked, defeated Georgia's Alexandra Smith 6-3, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
For the second consecutive day, Mikolich endured a long singles match, yet emerged with a hardfought 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win over FSU's Natalie Tirapelli in the quarterfinals of the Flight B Back Draw. She fell to Miam's Igna de Villiers 6-2, 6-1 in the next round.
In doubles, Magley and Scaringe cruised past FSU's Beth Lawrence and Natalie Tirapelli 8-1 to reach the semifinal round.
