Florida Gators
NCAA Singles First Round
Dawaf Wins 1R at NCAA WTennis Singles Championship
Tuesday, May 20, 2003 | Women's Tennis
Less than 24 hours after winning an emotional NCAA Team Championship, members from the University of Florida women's tennis team returned to the court for first round action in the NCAA Singles Championship.
The emotion and excitement of playing team tennis in the grueling weather for the last four days caught up with the Gators. Five players were selected to participate in the 64-player singles draw, but shortly before the event began, Alexis Gordon and Zerene Reyes each withdrew because of injury and fatigue.
They both are expected to play in the NCAA Doubles Championships that begin Tuesday afternoon at the Ring Tennis Complex. Three Gator doubles duos are participating in the 32-team event and will play their respective matches beginning at 2 p.m. Reyes will pair with Jennifer Magley and Gordon with Julia Scaringe, while Julie Rotondi and Lindsay Dawaf team together.
Lindsay Dawaf (Olney, MD) was the only Gator who advanced to the second round after she outlasted Clemson's Julie Coin 2-6, 7-5, 6-1 in 2 hours and 25 minutes. She next plays No. 2-seeded Cristelle Grier from Northwestern on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m. UF's Julie Rotondi and Julia Scaringe were eliminated in the first round, but both return on Tuesday for the NCAA Doubles Championships.
Coin dominated the first set against Dawaf using three breaks to take the early advantage. The second set remained on-serve until Dawaf broke Coin in the fifth game to take a 3-2 lead. But Coin broke right back and held before again breaking Dawaf to take a 5-3 lead and was prepared to serve for the match. However, Dawaf refused to quit and won 16 of the next 22 points en route to breaking Coin twice and winning the second set. Because the on-court temperature was over 90 degrees, the heat rule was in effect and Coin opted to utilize every minute of the 10 minute break entering the decisive third set. She requested the services of a trainer during that time and laid down in obvious pain and exhaustion. Coin opened the third set serving, but couldn't produce a winner as Dawaf raced down every ball and Coin eventually hit errant overheads on the final two points to lose the game. Dawaf lost just one point on her next serve and then broke Coin again to take a 3-0 lead. The next two games were breaks at love before Dawaf fought off of break point and held to take a 5-1 lead. With Coin serving and the score at 15-all, Dawaf won the final three points to close out the victory.
"She played very well the first set and then I was just getting the balls back and hitting it more to her backhand," Dawaf said. "Eventually, I saw how the weather got to her and I knew if I could just hang in there I could probably pull it out. I just kept getting balls back and she wasn't really that consistent and started getting very tired. I was just trying to hang in there. After she took a medical timeout, she came out trying to hit all winners and I knew it couldn't last too long. She was just trying to close it out and not let it go to a third (set). I just hung in there and finally pulled it out."
Senior Julia Scaringe (Marietta, GA) lost a tough 6-2, 3-6, 7-5 decision to North Carolina's Kate Pinchbeck and ends her collegiate singles career with a 92-28 record.
Scaringe opened the match holding he serve at love and even held a break point in the next game. But Pinchbeck fought that off to win her serve and then break Scaringe in the next. The two exchange service breaks, as Pinchbeck carried a break into the ninth game where she earned another before serving out for the first set. The first two games of the second set were breaks, but neither competitor would relinquish her serve until Scaringe tagged Pinchbeck in the eighth game and then held to force a third set. The decisive set opened with a pair of breaks, followed by three service holds, as Pinchbeck held the lead. Scaringe battled back and broke in the next game to close within 3-4 with the serve. She was serving at 40-30, when thunder began booming across the Tennis Complex. Pinchbeck forced duce and rain began to fall forcing a delay. With no dry weather in site, the match was moved to the covered courts where play resumed. Scaringe continued that service game with a double fault and lost the next point, as Pinchbeck took the 5-3 lead with the serve. But in an 18-point ninth game, Scaringe fought off one match point and capitalized on her sixth break point to pull within 4-5. During that long game, the match again was delay because of rain and drainage blowing onto the courts. But Scaringe kept her focus and lost just one point on her next serve to even the match at 5-all. But Pinchbeck dug deep and won the final eight point of the match to secure the win.
"I had some nice momentum out there going. It really messed me up when we started indoors," Scaringe said. "Different courts, difference surface and I lost a quick game there and that was a big difference."
Scaringe pairs with Alexis Gordon in the NCAA Doubles Championships and will play San Diego State's Silvia Tornier and Indra Erichsen at 2 p.m. in the first round.
After providing the clinching championship point against Stanford in Sunday's team final, Julie Rotondi battled hard against Cardinal Amber Lui, who is the No. 5 seed in the tournament, but came up short 6-4, 6-3.
"I had zero left today. I am so emotionally drained right now, it's unbelievable. I didn't know how I was going to get past the first round. My feet are covered in heat blisters, my stomach… I'm not going to lie, mentally, I just wasn't all there today. I don't know how you're suppose to go from everything that happened yesterday (winning the team title with her match) in front of 1,200 people, to playing a first round match in front of a few friends and family members. I'm going to sit on this team win for a long time. It was pretty hard to get up this morning and think about playing tennis again," Rotondi said.
Rotondi joins Dawaf on the doubles court at 2 p.m. to play Georgia's No. 2-seeded team of Agata Cioroch and Lori Grey.
"It's very difficult to play after you play in the (team) finals," UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. "You play all week and whether you win yesterday or lost that match, seeing all the results from the Sanford players and from our players shows it's difficult to play the next day."
Of the four Stanford players competing in the singles draw, Liu was the lone Cardinal collecting a victory.
NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championships First Round
Ring Tennis Complex, Gainesville, FL
May 19, 2003
(1) Vilmarie Castellvi, Tennessee d. Jessica Rush, Northwestern 6-1, 6-3
Maja Mlakar, Arizona d. Nataly Cahana, Old Dominion 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
Megan Bradley, Miami d. Urska Juric, Missouri 6-2, 6-4
Amanda Johnson, Duke d. Susi Wild, UCLA 6-0, 6-3
(7) Adria Engel, Arizona State d. Aleke Tsoubanos, Vanderbilt 6-2, 6-4
Luana Magnani, Southern Calif. d. Aleksandra Durska, Tulsa 6-0, 6-3
(9-16) Mira Radu, Ole Miss d. Lauren Barnikow, Stanford 6-0, 6-1
Aniela Mojzis, UNC d. Nathalie Roels, Kentucky 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 (5)
(4) Agata Cioroch, Georgia d. Anda Perianu, Oklahoma 6-4, 6-2
Kate Pinchbeck, UNC d. Julia Scaringe, Florida 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
Dea Sumantri, Washington d. (9-16) Alice Barnes, Stanford 7-6 (5), 6-3
Candice Fuchs, William & Mary d. Caylan Leslie, Notre Dame 6-4, 1-6, 6-0
(6) Racquel Kops-Jones, Cal d. Crystal Cleveland, Tennessee 6-4, 6-3
Alix Lacelarie, Clemson d. Maureen Diaz, Southern Calif. 6-4, 6-3
(9-16) Jackie Carleton, UCLA d. Courtney Nagle, Oregon 6-3, 6-2
Julie Smekodub, Tulane d. Melissa Applebaum, Miami 6-2, 1-6, 6-2
Sarah Witten, Kentucky d. Dianne Hollands, Arizona 6-3, 4-6, 7-6 (0)
(9-16) Sara Riske, Vanderbilt d. Jennifer Tuchband, Virginia 6-3, 7-6 (3)
Jessica Roland, Texas A&M d. Alicia Pillay, Tulsa 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
(5) Amber Liu, Stanford d. Julie Rotondi, Florida 6-4, 6-3
Alice Pirsu, Pennsylvania d. Jenny Kuhn, Tulane 6-4, 6-2
(9-16) Chloe Carlotti, Fresno St. d. Liina Suurvarik, Illinois State 6-4, 6-2
Barbora Zahnova, VCU d. Kendra Strohm, Texas 6-3, 6-0
Viktoria Stoklasova, South Alabama d. (3) Kelly McCain, Duke 6-7 (3), 7-6 (8), 6-4
Christina Fusano, California d. Erin Burdette, Stanford 6-2, 6-2
(9-16) Daria Panova, Oregon d. Jaime Wong, Georgia Tech 6-1, 6-1
Marlene Mejia, UNC d. Saras Arasu, Duke 6-1, 7-6 (6)
(8) Jewel Peterson, Southern Calif. d. Manon Kruse, Middle Tenn. St. 6-3, 7-5
Tammy Encina, Tennessee d. Anne Nguyen, Georgia 6-1, 6-1
(9-16) Sara Walker, UCLA d. Courtney Bergman, Harvard 6-0, 6-2
Lindsay Dawaf, Florida d. Julie Coin, Clemson 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
(2) Cristelle Grier, Northwestern d. Alicia Salas, Notre Dame 7-5, 6-0
END OF REPORT
