Florida Gators
ITA Southeast Regional Championships - Day 2 of 4
Embree Breezes Through Opponents on Second Day of USTA/ITA Regional Championships
Saturday, October 22, 2011 | Women's Tennis
Florida's top-seeded and fifth-ranked Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) dropped only three games in two singles victories on Saturday en route to a berth in Sunday's quarterfinal round of the 2011 USTA/ITA Regional Championships, hosted by the University of Florida at Ring Tennis Complex
Embree shut out both opponents in the opening set of her singles matches, defeating Georgia's Alina Jerjomina, 6-0, 6-2 in second round action and breezing through her third round singles match against USF's Ecaterina Vasenina, 6-0, 6-1.
“Lauren played some of the best tennis that she has in a while,” Florida head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “She's worked really, really hard. I think she felt that in the past few weeks, she hasn't seen the fruit of the hard work, but I think it's starting to shine through a little bit here. I thought that she played excellent tennis here today.”
In all, four Gator singles players advanced to Sunday's quarterfinal round and the doubles team of junior Caroline Hitimana (Waterloo, Belgium) and sophomore Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, Fla.) moved on to Sunday's semifinal round.
Action continues on Sunday at 9 a.m., beginning with semifinal round doubles matches. The quarterfinal round main draw singles matches will begin at approximately 10:30 a.m. on the Linder Stadium courts. Consolation singles matches will also commence at 10:30 a.m. on the back courts of Ring Tennis Complex, followed by the semifinals of both the main draw and consolation singles matches, the times of which will be determined on Sunday.
Admission to all matches is free.
Janowicz advanced in both her doubles and singles matches, as she and Hitimana overpowered top-seeded Caroline Lilley and Jillian O'Neill from Georgia Tech, 9-8 (3). The Gator duo advance to Sunday morning's semifinal round to face fourth-seeded Chelsea Gullickson and Lilly Kimbell from Georgia. Janowicz then defeated Georgia State's Whitney Byrd, 6-1, 6-1 in the second round of singles action and rallied to defeat Georgia's Kimbell, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 in the third round of the singles main draw.
“I was very impressed with Olivia (Janowicz),” Thornqvist said. “The fact that she could win that match was impressive. She played a really tricky player – somebody that plays off the bounce, a little unorthodox and somebody who does things that Olivia doesn't typically like.”
“I thought she did a really good job keeping her head,” Thornqvist continued, “even though it was spinning in the first set trying to figure out what in the world was going on. I was really impressed by that.”
Sophomore Sofie Oyen (Leopoldsburg, Belgium) advanced to Sunday's main draw singles action, taking a straight-set victory over Georgia State's Maryna Kozazhenko, 6-1, 6-4. In the afternoon, Oyen returned to defeat Georgia Tech's Christina Ngo, 6-4, 6-2.
Florida's lone senior Joanna Mather (Duluth, Ga.) breezed through her second round singles matchup against UNF's Danielle Day, 6-2, 6-1 before defeating Georgia Tech's Lilley in third round singles action, 7-6 (4), 6-2.
“To win this tournament, you have to not only play well – you have to be tough, you have to be fit,” Thornqvist noted.” I think if today was any indication, then I think we're going to continue to play better as the tournament goes along. That's what you have to do to win this thing.”
Gator sophomore Alex Cercone fell in a three-set heartbreaker in the second round of main draw singles to Georgia's Lauren Herring, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5. Herring will face Florida's Embree in Sunday's quarterfinal round.
Hitimana advanced in her second round singles match against Florida State's Carolina De Los Santos, 6-3, 1-0 ret. before falling to Georgia Tech's O'Neill, 6-2, 6-0 in the third round of singles action.
Cercone and Oyen dropped a tight doubles quarterfinal to Florida State's De Los Santos and Ruth Seaborne on Saturday morning, 8-6.
The University of Florida women's tennis team plays host this weekend to its lone home event of the 2011 fall season - the 2011 USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Championships, Oct. 21-24.
This is the first time the Gators have played host to the ITA Women's Tennis Regional Championships, held at the Ring Tennis Complex where admission is FREE.
The four-day singles and doubles individual event serves as a feeder into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships, considered the second leg of the collegiate Grand Slam. The Indoor Championships takes place at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing, New York, Nov. 3-6.
Daily Schedule of Events
Detailed schedule of play for Sunday is as follows: 9 a.m. Doubles Semifinal Round; 10:30 a.m. Main Draw Singles-Quarterfinal Round on the stadium courts; 10:30 a.m. Consolation Singles-Quarterfinal Round on the back courts; Semifinals for both Main Draw Singles and Consolation Singles are TBD
MONDAY, start time TBA: Doubles Finals (Main Draw); Singles Finals (Main & Consolation Draws)
Results will be updated throughout each day's play on www.GatorZone.com/tennis/women, with PDF files of the draws available on that same website within the 'GATORS GAME DAY' box.
2011 USTA/ITA Southeast Regional Women's Tennis Championships
Ring Tennis Complex * Gainesville, Fla.
Hosted by the University of Florida
Complete Results
Saturday, October 22, 2011
Singles, Second Round (round of 32)
Lauren Embree (5), UF d. Alina Jerjomina, UGA, 6-0, 6-2
Ecaterina Vasenina (70), USF d. Paola Garrido, GSU, 6-0, 6-1
Lauren Herring, UGA d. Alex Cercone (34), UF, 6-4, 3-6, 7-5
Mia Vriens, FSU d. Lynn Blau (124), GT, 6-2, 6-1
Jillian O'Neill (21), GT d. Loreto Alonso, USF, 6-2, 6-2
Caroline Hitimana (85), UF d. Carolina De Los Santos, FSU, 6-3, 1-0 ret.
Olivia Janowicz (37), UF d. Whitney Byrd, GST, 6-1, 6-1
Lilly Kimbell (123), UGA d. Sara Lazarevic, SU, 6-1, 7-5
Sofie Oyen (73), UF d. Maryna Kozazhenko, GST, 6-1, 6-4
Christina Ngo (44), GT d. Lorena Aviles, UNF, 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-1
Kate Fuller, UGA d. Muriel Wacker, GT, 6-3, 7-6 (5)
Anna Bartenstein (25), UM d. Alex Apostu, KSU, 6-3, 6-1
Caroline Lilley (69), GT d. Fanny Fracassi, USF, 6-2, 6-2
Joanna Mather (26), UF d. Danielle Day, UNF, 6-2, 6-1
Elizabeth Kilborn, GT d. Sarah McLean, FIU, 6-4, 6-1
Chelsey Gullickson (9), UGA d. Abigail Tere-Apisah, GST, 7-6 (4), 1-6, 7-6 (4)
Singles, Third Round (round of 16)
Lauren Embree (5), UF d. Ecaterina Vasenina (70), USF, 6-0, 6-1
Lauren Herring, UGA d. Mia Vriens, FSU, 6-4, 7-5
Jillian O'Neill (21), GT d. Caroline Hitimana (85), UF, 6-2, 6-0
Olivia Janowicz (37), UF d. Lilly Kimbell (123), UGA, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Sofie Oyen (73), UF d.. Christina Ngo (44), GT, 6-4, 6-2
Anna Bartenstein (25), UM d. Kate Fuller, UGA, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
Joanna Mather (26), UF d. Caroline Lilley (69), GT, 7-6 (4), 6-2
Chelsey Gullickson (9), UGA d. Elizabeth Kilborn, GT 6-2, 7-6 (5)
Singles Consolation, First Round (round of 32)
Masa Grgan, GST d. Naella Wawrinka, SU, 6-1, 6-3
Aline Berkenbrock, UNF d. Rita Maisak, FIU, 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
Alexis Rodriguez, UCF d. Kathline Durden, FAMU, 6-0, 6-0
Lisa Johnson, FIU d. Tereza Lerova, GST, 6-3, 6-2
Vera Shkundina, KSU d. Chrissie Seredni, FIU, 6-2, 6-4
Aline Staudt, JU d. Melissa Bolivar, UM, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
Jasmine Minor, GT d. Lucie Rey, USF, 7-5, 6-1
Jenna Doerfler, UCF d. Morgan Bechtel, FGCU, 6-1, 6-2
Jen Evans, FGCU d. Bethany Holt, FAMU, 6-2, 6-2
Karyn Guttormsen, FIU d. Clark Tatje, SU, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
Kate Parker, USF d. Natalia Melibeu, JU, 4-6, 6-0, 6-0
Leyla Erkan, FSU d. Gen Lorbergs, UCF, 6-3, 6-2
Giulietta Boha, FIU d. Courtney Griffith, UCF, 6-2, 6-2
Tess Lagerkvist, KSU d. Kir Kemp, GST, 7-5, 6-1
Brittany Dubins, UM d. Gyanna Mandic, FGCU 6-3, 6-1
Alessandra Bonte, USF d. Natalie Maffett, GSU, 6-1, 6-0
Singles Consolation, Second Round (round of 16)
Aline Berkenbrock, UNF d. Masa Grgan, GST, 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
Lisa Johnson, FIU d. Alexis Rodriguez, UCF, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
Vera Shkundina, KSU d. Aline Staudt, JU, 6-2, 6-2
Jasmine Minor, GT d. Jenna Doerfler, UCF, 6-3, 5-7, 6-1
Karyn Guttormsen, FIU d. Jen Evans, FGCU, 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
Leyla Erkan, FSU vs. Kate Parker, USF, 6-3, 6-2
Giulietta Boha, FIU d. Tess Lagerkvist, KSU, 7-6 (0), 6-1
Brittany Dubins, UM d. Alessandra Bonte, USF, 6-4, 7-6 (6)
Doubles, Quarterfinal (round of 16)
Olivia Janowicz/Caroline Hitimana, UF d. Caroline Lilley/Jillian O'Neill (6), GT, 9-8 (3)
Chelsea Gullickson/Lilly Kimbell, UGA d. Loreto Alonso/Ecaterina Vasenina, USF, 8-4
Ruth Seaborne/Carolina De Los Santos, FSU d. Cercone/Sofie Oyen, UF, 8-6
Kate Fuller/Lauren Herring (20), UGA d. Lynn Blau/Elizabeth Kilborn, GT, 8-6
There is not a consolation doubles draw at this event.
Southeast Region School Codes:
UCF = Central Florida
FAMU = Florida A&M
FGCU = Florida Gulf Coast Univ.
FIU = Florida International Univ.
FSU = Florida State
UF = Florida
GSU = Georgia Southern
GST = Georgia State
GT = Georgia Tech
UGA = Georgia
JU = Jacksonville
KSU = Kennesaw State
UM = Miami
UNF = North Florida
USF = South Florida
SU = Stetson
For all of the latest information on Florida Women's Tennis, please log on to www.gatorzone.com/tennis/women or follow the team on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GatorZoneTennis.
-##-
