Florida Gators
Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Qualifying Day 2
Gator Rookies Roll Into Riviera/ITA All-American Main Draw
Thursday, October 2, 2014 | Women's Tennis
A trio of Gator freshmen played their way into the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships main draw at the Riviera Tennis Center Wednesday.
Brooke Austin and Josie Kuhlman each won three qualifying singles matches needed to earn one of eight spots available for the main draw of the national event considered the first of the collegiate grand slam.
In her final qualifying match, Austin upset No. 63-ranked Courtney Colton of Vanderbilt with little difficulty, winning in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. Kuhlman took down No. 22 Taylor Davidson of Stanford, 6-4, 7-6 (3).
“For Brooke and Josie to qualify in their first trip here is an awesome start to their career,” said associate head coach Dave Balogh. “Both are competing so well. They're making adjustments when necessary and mentally they're really tough at the end of close sets. And for Peggy [Porter] and Josie to make it into the doubles is really exciting.”
Kuhlman paired with fellow Gator rookie Peggy Porter in doubles and earned a slot in the main draw as the duo defeated No. 46 Marie Klocker/Gaelle Rey of San Jose State, 6-3, 6-1.
Gator junior No. 14-ranked Brianna Morgan earned an automatic bid into the singles main draw and will open her All-American Championships run versus Stanford's No. 33 Caroline Doyle at 1 p.m. ET. Austin will take on No. 5 Julia Elbaba of Virginia and Kuhlman will face UCLA's No. 7 Channelle Van Nguyen at 1 p.m. ET.
No. 13-ranked Florida pair Kourtney Keegan and Belinda Woolcock begin Riviera/ITA doubles play against No. 40 Caroline Doyle and Ellen Tsay of Stanford at 5 p.m. ET. Porter and Kuhlman will continue their doubles run with a first round main draw match versus California's No. 11-ranked pairing of Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr at 5 p.m. ET.
Complete Singles and Doubles Main Draws Available
2014 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Qualifying
Day Two Results – UF Only
SINGLES
Round Three
Brooke Austin (UF) def. No. 63 Courtney Colton (Vanderbilt), 6-0, 6-1
Josie Kuhlman (UF) [Q] def. No. 22 Taylor Davidson (Stanford) [2], 6-4, 7-6(3)
DOUBLES
Round Two
Peggy Porter/Josie Kuhlman (UF) [Q] def. No. 46 Marie Klocker/Gaelle Rey (SJSU), 6-3, 6-1
2014 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships Main Draw
Day One Pairings – UF Only
SINGLES
Round One
Josie Kuhlman (UF) vs. No. 7 Channelle Van Nguyen (UCLA) [6]
Brooke Austin (UF) vs. No. 5 Julia Elbaba (UVA) [4]
No. 14 Brianna Morgan (UF) vs. No. 33 Caroline Doyle (Stanford)
DOUBLES
Round One
No. 13 Kourtney Keegan/Belinda Woolcock (UF) vs. No. 40 Caroline Doyle/Ellen Tsay (Stanford)
Josie Kuhlman/Peggy Porter (UF) vs. No. 11 Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr (Cal.)
NEED TO KNOW INFO ON THE RIVIERA:
The Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., will again serve as the host site for the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships. The national championship, considered the first leg of the collegiate grand slam, began on Saturday, September 27 with pre-qualifying singles and doubles matches, which was hosted by UCLA. Qualifying competition will be held September 30-October 1 and main draw action is slated for Thursday, October 2-Sunday, October 5 at the Riviera Tennis Club.
HOW IT WORKS:
The qualifying rounds are comprised of a singles draw of 64 and a doubles draw of 32. Just as with pre-qualifying, a singles player or doubles tandem must win three consecutive matches to stay alive and move into the main draw. Eight spots in the singles main draw are reserved for qualifiers, while the doubles main draw will feature four teams from qualifying.
GATORS SELECTED FOR RIVIERA/ITA ALL-AMERICAN:
• Brianna Morgan received an automatic berth into the singles main draw
• Brooke Austin and Josie Kuhlman played through qualifying and earned a spot in the singles main draw
• Kourtney Keegan and Belinda Woolcock received an automatic berth into main draw doubles
• Kuhlman and Peggy Porter advanced through pre-qualifying and qualifying doubles and earned a spot in the main draw
WHAT'S AT STAKE:
Singles semifinalists, doubles finalists and consolation champions will receive automatic entry into the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships November 6-9 in Flushing, New York.
FOLLOWING THE ACTION:
Follow the ITA on Twitter for updates and news from California, or search for the hashtag #RivieraITA to find other tweets from those tweeting about the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships. Check out the ITA Facebook page or the 2014 All-American Championships Tournament Hub for more updates.
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