Florida Gators
USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships - Day 3 of 4
Joanna Mather to Play for USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships Singles Title
Saturday, November 5, 2011 | Women's Tennis
Florida senior Joanna Mather (Duluth, Ga.) continued her impressive run at the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships as she defeated Stanford's second-seeded and seventh-ranked Nicole Gibbs, 6-3, 6-1, the semifinal at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on Saturday.
Mather will face SMU's 10th-ranked Marta Lesniak for the national singles title on Sunday in a match not scheduled to start before noon. Lesniak, who took out Gator junior Lauren Embree (Marco Island, Fla.) in a three-set round of 16 battle, advanced to the final after defeating Washington's fourth-ranked Denise Dye, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3.
“I'm so happy for Joanna” UF head coach Roland Thornqvist said. “She played at a high, high level. She used her speed and coupled it with only six unforced errors, which made her really difficult to beat.”
Prior to this weekend's event, the highest-ranked opponent Mather had defeated in her career was 20th-ranked Kristi Boxx of Ole Miss in September of 2010. In this tournament, Mather took out Georgia's ninth-ranked Chelsey Gullickson in the round of 16 on Friday and now Gibbs.
“I thought I played really well today and I had to play well to beat Nicole Gibbs,” Mather shared. “She's a really tough player. She had me on the run, so I got more running in. I am just excited for my match tomorrow.”
“I can't believe it, I am so excited,” Mather said of earning a trip to the final. “My first time here and I get to the finals, kind of like a dream. Hopefully tomorrow I play just as well as I did today. We will see what happens.”
Other members of the Gator squad enjoyed success on Saturday, when four members combine to post a 4-2 singles and doubles record at the USF Fall Tennis Classic in Tampa.
Alex Cercone (Seminole, Fla.) and Sofie Oyen (Leopoldsburg, Belgium) both netted singles wins versus USF players, while the pairs of Cercone and Oyen, and Caroline Hitimana (Waterloo, Belgium) and Olivia Janowicz (Palm Bay, Fla.) collected victories on the doubles court against teams from Florida State.
Cercone earned a 6-2, 7-5 singles win against USF's Danielle Mills and Oyen took a 0-6, 6-2, 7-5 decision against Loreto Alonso Martinez and
Janowicz fell to USF's 70th-raned Ecaterina Vasenina, 6-1, 7-6 (4), in the non-draw singles event, while Hitimana retired from her match against Fanny Fracassi after she dropped the first set 6-2.
In doubles, Cercone and Oyen earned an 8-1 decision against Segarelli and de los Santos, while Hitimana and Janowicz took down the combine pair of FSU's Erkan and UCF's Hodges, 8-5.
Action at the USF Fall Tennis Classic concludes on Sunday morning.
USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships
USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
Flushing, N.Y.
Saturday, November 5, 2011
Singles, Semifinals
Marta Lesniak (10), SMU d. Denise Dye (4), Washington, 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
Joanna Mather (26), UF d. Nicole Gibbs (7), Stanford, 6-3, 6-1
USF Fall Tennis Classic
Tampa, Fla.
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Singles (no draw)
Alex Cercone (34), UF d. Danielle Mills, USF 6-2, 7-5
Fanny Fracassi, USF d. Caroline Hitimana (85), UF, 6-1, ret.
Ecaterina Vasenina (70), USF d. Olivia Janowicz (37), UF, 6-1, 7-6 (4)
Sofie Oyen (73), UF d. Loreto Alonso Martinez, USF, 0-6, 6-2, 7-5
Doubles (no draw)
Hitmana/Janowicz (29), UF d. Erkan (FSU)/Hodges (UCF), 8-5
Cercone/Oyen, UF d. Segarelli/de los Santos, USF, 8-1
