Florida Gators
NCAA Singles(3R) & Doubles(2R)
WTennis: Magley Advances to QF of NCAA Singles; Reyes, Doubles Eliminated
Wednesday, May 25, 2005 | Women's Tennis
For the second time in three days, Jennifer Magley showed that she may be down, but never out of a match. On Wednesday, the Gator junior overcame another significant third-set deficit, as she was receiving, down 4-1 before rallying to defeat Ole Miss' Chloe Carlotti 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 in two hours and 51 minutes. Magley becomes the first Gator to advance to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Singles Championships since Jessica Lehnhoff reached the final in 2002.
Magley also was forced to dig deep during her first round match where she was on the receiving end of a 4-0 hole in the third set against Stanford's Whitney Deason before winning the final six games to take the 7-6 (9), 5-7, 6-4 victory in three hours and one minute.
"The unusual is becoming the norm for me lately," said Magley, who has logged eight hours and 15 minutes of singles play in the last three days, while serving 49 double-faults. "I'm starting out kind of slow, but as I mentioned before I can do all things through Christ, who gives me strength. When you have that foundation, you're never really out of a match. Today, I had to make more balls and never quit or get down on myself."
Magley began the match facing an even larger deficit, trailing 5-0 and serving down 15-40, before fending off three set points and almost got the set back on serve, going to the baseline trying to hold and make the score 5-all, but couldn't turn away Carlotti's sixth set point.
The Gator junior was more in control of the second set, taking a 5-1 lead and eventually breaking Carlotti at love to force a deciding third set.
Fifth-seeded Magley faces Kentucky's Aibika Kalsarieva, the No. 4 seed, on Thursday at 11 a.m. The Wildcat senior won the regular-season dual match against Magley 6-3, 6-3, a contest played indoors because of the weather. The two also squared off in the SEC Tournament final but did not finish as the Gators clinched the title. Kalsarieva held a 7-6 (2), 5-5 lead when play was halted.
"Our last match at SECs was very, very close and I'm just looking forward to playing tomorrow," Magley said. "Hopefully, I'll get some balls in. I just want to be in the match."
One of the most successful singles careers in Gator history came to a close Wednesday morning, as senior Zerene Reyes lost to Clemson's No. 2-seeded Julie Coin 6-0, 6-2 in the NCAA Round of 16.
Reyes ends her four-year career with a 104-16 record, tying for the seventh most singles wins in UF history. Her winning percentage of 86.7 percent is second only to Gator legend Lisa Raymond, who won an astounding 95.4 percent of her matches, posting an 84-4 record during her two-year collegiate tenure.
"I really don't know how to explain these last four years," Reyes said. "I'm happy to say that during my four years I gave it everything I could."
Coin came out sizzling, losing just five total points in the opening set that lasted 20 minutes. Reyes then regrouped and held to begin the second. But Coin came right back and held before breaking Reyes in the third game to take a 2-1 lead. Reyes had two break points in the next game, but couldn't capitalize, as Coin held on her third game point. The Gator senior came back, losing just one point on her next serve, but Coin held again and broke Reyes in the seventh game before serving out for the win.
"She was hitting pretty hard and I always have problem when I play hard hitters," Reyes said. "She was just hitting winners all over the place to start the match and it was tough for me to come back. She's a fabulous player."
Both Florida doubles teams bowed out late Wednesday in the NCAA Round of 16, with the pair of Magley and Reyes falling 7-6 (11), 6-4 to Miami's third-seeded pair of Audrey Banada and Megan Bradley, while Whitney Benik and Lolita Frangulyan dropped a tough 6-1, 7-5 decision to Stanford's Amber Liu and Anne Yelsey.
The freshmen tandem of Benik and Frangulyan had their chances in the second set, but couldn't convert after holding one set point, serving up 5-3.
"We definitely could have pulled out the second set, we had our chances there," Frangulyan shared. "We started playing much better in the second set. We had one set point on my serve, but Anne (Yelsey) poached unbelievably and helped them take that game. I was great playing with Whitney again. I don't know what's going to happen next year, but hopefully we'll get a chance to play with each, I hope so because I missed it."
Magley and Reyes had multiple opportunities to take the first set, but also couldn't convert. The Gator pair broke Banada to take a 6-5 lead, but the Hurricanes jumped on Reyes' serve to force a tiebreaker, which went back and forth with Florida managing one set point at 8-7, but Bradley held twice to give UM its second set point. UF fought that off, as well as two more before the Hurricanes finally captured the opening frame. There was just one break in the second set, and UM emerged with Magley's serve in the seventh game and then rode that to the end.
"We just couldn't close out the first set," Reyes said. "We had our fair share of chances. They were attacking a lot and that hurts me."
"'Z' and I had a lot of fun out here," Magley said. "We've had a great three years playing together. She's been my best partner and I can't believe it's over."
Magley and Reyes conclude their collegiate pairing with an 86-21 record, the second most wins by a doubles team in UF history, trailing only the legendary tandem of Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas, who amassed a 91-8 record together.
"The real sad part is that it's more than wins and losses, her contributions go way beyond that," said Thornqvist of Reyes' collegiate finale. "From her preparation, to her respect of all her teammates to the way she carries herself, Zerene's an example for everybody. We've been just blessed to have a player like her for four years. I'm going to go back to the hotel and cry a little bit, now, because it's just so hard to describe what she's meant to me, the Florida program and everyone she's come in contact with during the last four years."
Florida has won the NCAA Singles title four times: Shaun Stafford (1988), Lisa Raymond (1992 & 1993) & Jill Craybas (1996); while also capturing four NCAA Doubles crowns: Jillian Alexander & Nicole Arendt (1991), Dawn Buth & Stephanie Nickitas (1996 & '97) and Whitney Laiho & Jessica Lehnhoff (2001).
2005 NCAA Women's Tennis Singles & Doubles Championships
Dan Magill Tennis Complex
University of Georgia
Athens, Ga.
Wednesday, May 25, 2005
NCAA Singles Round of 16
Marianna Yuferova, VCU, def. Lindsey Nelson(9-16), S.California, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3
Zuzana Zemenova, Baylor, def. Anne Yelsey, Stanford, 6-4, 6-7 (3), 7-5
Aibika Kalsarieva(4), Kentucky, def. Audra Falk, Vanderbilt, 7-6 (3), 7-6 (6)
Jennifer Magley(5), Florida, def. Chloe Carlotti, Mississippi, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5
Story Tweedie-Yates(9-16), TCU, def. Theresa Logar, Stanford, 6-3, 6-1
Audra Cohen(3), Northwestern, def. Kristi Miller(9-16), Georgia Tech, 6-3, 2-6, 6-0
Riza Zalameda, UCLA, def. Helga Vieira, Texas A&M, 6-1, 7-5
Julie Coin(2), Clemson, def. Zerene Reyes(9-16), Florida, 6-0, 6-2
NCAA Doubles Round of 16
Alice Barnes-Erin Burdette, Stanford, def. Caroline Basu-Shadisha Robinson(1), Georgia, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Olga Borisova-Marianna Yuferova, VCU, def. Kendall Cline-Aniela Mojzis(5-8), N.Carolina, 6-2, 6-4
Audrey Banada-Megan Bradley(3), Miami def. Jennifer Magley-Zerene Reyes, Florida, 7-6 (11), 6-4
Ana Cetnik-Story Tweedie-Yates, TCU, def. Catrina Thompson-Christian Thompson(5-8), Notre Dame, 6-1, 6-2
Amber Liu-Anne Yelsey, Stanford def. Whitney Benik-Lolita Frangulyan(5-8), Florida, 6-1, 7-5
Daniela Bercek-Riza Zalameda(4), UCLA, def. Julie Coin-Alix Lacelarie, Clemson, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
Candice Fuchs-Megan Moulton-Levy, William & Mary def. Dianne Hollands-Maja Mlakar, 7-6 (4), 6-4
Audra Cohen-Cristelle Grier(2), Northwestern, def. Michelle DaCosta-Kara Delicata, Michigan, 3-6, 7-6 (8), 7-6 (4)
END OF REPORT
