SEMIFINALS SET FOR ITA NATIONAL WOMEN'S TEAM INDOORS

No. 1 Duke, defending champion Northwestern advance

MADISON, Wis. - The Semifinals have been set for the 16 teams competing in the 2010 ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championships hosted by the University of Wisconsin at the A.C. Nielsen Tennis Stadium.

ITA National Women's Team Indoor Championships: Quarterfinals
#1 Duke 4, #8 USC 2
North Carolina 5, #5 Baylor 2
#3 California 4, UCLA 3
#2 Northwestern 4, #7 Florida 3

More on the Quarterfinalists:
#1 Duke: Top-ranked Duke (7-0) continued its early season dominance by getting the match started on the right foot, taking the crucial doubles point with wins at No. 1 and No. 2. In singles action, Southern California grabbed its first point of the match to make it 3-1 with a win at No. 1 from eighth-ranked Maria Sanchez. She outlasted Duke's 20th-ranked Reka Zsilinszka 6-3, 6-4. Needing just one more win to earn a spot in the semifinals after Blue Devil Monica Gorny claimed a straight-set win at the No. 6 spot, senior Amanda Granson grabbed the first set 6-3 and followed through in the second set to win 6-3, 6-2 and launch the Duke into the semifinals. The Blue Devils advance to the semifinal round to take on their heated rival, North Carolina.
First Round Matchup: No. 1 Duke def. Wisconsin, 6-1
Quarterfinal Matchup: No. 1 Duke def. No. 8 USC, 4-2
Semifinal Matchup: No. 1 Duke vs. North Carolina - 3:30 p.m. (CT)

#1 Duke 4, #7 USC 2
Doubles
1. Granson/Nze (DUKE) def. Kinstler/Sanchez (USC) -- 8-3
2. Plotkin/Zsilinszk (DUKE) def. Lao/Ramos (USC) -- 8-1
3. Andrews/Pulido (USC) vs. Gorny/Stiles (DUKE) -- 8-7, DNF

Singles
1. #8 Maria Sanchez (USC) def. #20 Reka Zsilinszka (DUKE) -- 6-3, 6-4
2. #39 Alison Ramos (USC) vs. #91 Ellah Nze (DUKE) -- 6-4, 1-6, 3-4, DNF
3. Elizabeth Plotkin (DUKE) def. #18 Danielle Lao (USC) -- 6-1, 6-4
4. Amanda Granson (DUKE) def. #37 Valeria Pulido (USC) -- 6-3, 6-2
5. #63 Monica Gorny (DUKE) def. Leyla Entekhabi (USC) -- 6-4, 6-4
6. Cristala Andrews (USC) def. Mary Clayton (DUKE) -- 6-4, 6-4



#2 Northwestern: For the second year in a row, defending champ and No. 2 seed Northwestern's quarterfinal match at the ITA National Indoor Team Championship came down to one singles match to decide the outcome. Just like in 2009, the Wildcats prevailed in dramatic fashion, this time thanks to sophomore Elena Chernyakova's come-from-behind win as NU edged No. 7 Florida, 4-3. After splitting her first two sets against the Gators' Claire Bartlett, Chernyakova trailed 5-4 in the third set before storming back to win the set 7-5 and send the `Cats into the semifinals. The Wildcats also received crucial singles wins from veterans Maria Mosolova and Lauren Lui as well as newcomer Brittany Wowchuck. After losing the doubles point for the first time this season, No. 2 NU (6-0) came back in strong fashion in singles, eventually taking a 3-2 lead in the team score when Luiwon her No. 4 singles match. Florida then tied things up at three, setting up Chernyakova's thrilling victory in the fifth of five singles matches that required three sets to determine a winner. After Bartlett managed to win the first set 6-4, Chernyakova found her stride and eked out the second set in a tiebreaker 7-6. The NU sophomore went back and forth in the deciding set and eventually trailed 5-4 before staging her comeback and setting off a celebration with her Northwestern teammates, keeping alive the 'Cats' hope for a repeat of last year's championship.
First Round Matchup: No. 2 Northwestern def. Tennessee, 5-1
Quarterfinal Matchup: No. 2 Northwestern def. No. 7 Florida, 4-3
Semifinal Matchup: No. 2 Northwestern vs. No. 3 California - 3:30 p.m. (CT)

#2 Northwestern 4, #7 Florida 3
Doubles
1. #26 Boonstra/Will (FL) def. Chernyakova/Lui (NU), 8-3
2. Embree/Revzina (FL) def. Mosolova/Wowchuk (NU), 8-4
3. Hitimana/Mather (FL) vs. Murray/Turvy (NU), 5-3, DNF

Singles
1. #12 Maria Mosolova (NU) def. #15 Lauren Embree (FL), 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
2. #13 Allie Will (FL) def. #48 Samantha Murray (NU), 5-7, 6-4, 7-6
3. #81 Marritt Boonstra (FL) def. Kate Turvy (NU), 6-2, 4-6, 6-1
4. Lauren Lui (NU) def. #92 Anastasia Revzina (FL), 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
5. Brittany Wowochuck (NU) def. Caroline Hitimana (FL), 6-2, 6-3
6. Elena Chernyakova (NU) def. Claire Bartlett (FL) def. 4-6, 7-6, 7-5


#3 California: Third-seeded Cal (6-0) defeated No. 12 UCLA (6-1), 4-3, to move into the semifinal match for the second year in a row and face the winner between No. 2 Northwestern (5-0) and No. 7 Florida (7-0). After splitting wins on the first and third doubles courts, senior Kasia Siwosz and junior Marina Cossou prevailed, 7-2, in a tiebreaker to earn the 9-8 win over Noelle Hickey and Nina Pantic to clinch the doubles point for the Bears. Junior Mari Andersson and sophomore Jana Juricova avenged an early-season loss to Andrea Remynse and Yasmin Schnack by taking out UCLA's 10th-ranked team, 8-1, at the top court. But Cal's freshman tandem of Tayler Davis and Annie Goransson had their six-match winning streak snapped by Pamela Montez and Carling Seguso, 8-6, at the third court to even the score for the doubles point. Second-ranked Juricova, who fell to fifth-ranked Schnack in the semifinal of the Cal Nike Invitational, repaid the favor as she put the Bears up, 2-0, with a 6-4, 6-2 win at the No. 1 singles position. The Bruins got on the board as Maya Johansson took a 6-4, 6-1 win over Annie Goransson at court five, but Cal responded to take a 3-1 lead as No. 83-ranked Andersson earned a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 41 Remynse at court three. It was Andersson's sixth straight singles win to keep her perfect through 12 sets in dual matches. UCLA made things interesting as Hickey put the finishing touches on a 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 10-ranked Cossou at the second singles court. With the Bruins just a step away from tying the match at three-all, Davis slammed on the brakes to give the Bears the victory as she took out Seguso, 6-2, 6-3, on the sixth court. It was Davis' seventh straight win and the second time that she has clinched Cal's team victory. With the winner determined, the Bruins put up one more point when Montez took a 6-3, 7-5 win over Siwosz at court four.
First Round Matchup: No. 3 California def. Georgia Tech, 5-2
Quarterfinal Matchup: No. 3 California def. UCLA, 4-3
Semifinal Matchup: No. 3 California vs. No. 2 Northwestern - 3:30 p.m. (CT)

#3 California 4, UCLA 3
Doubles
1. Andersson/Juricova (CAL) def. #10 Remynse/Schnack (UCLA) 8-1
2. Cossou/Siwosz (CAL) def. Hickey/Pantic (UCLA) 9-8 (2)
3. Montez/Seguso (UCLA) def. Davis/Goransson (CAL) 8-6


Singles
1. #2 Jana Juricova (CAL) def. #5 Yasmin Schnack (UCLA) 6-4, 6-2
2. Noelle Hickey (UCLA) def. #10 Marina Cossou (CAL) 6-2, 6-3
3. #83 Mari Andersson (CAL) def. #41 Andrea Remynse (UCLA) 6-4, 6-3
4. Pamela Montez (UCLA) def. Kasia Siwosz (CAL) 6-3, 7-5
5. Maya Johansson (UCLA) def. Annie Goransson (CAL) 6-4, 6-1
6. Tayler Davis (CAL) def. Carling Seguso (UCLA) 6-2, 6-3


North Carolina: The surging 11th ranked North Carolina Tar Heels knocked off their second top-10 opponent in as many days after defeating No. 5 Baylor, 5-2. After sweeping the doubles point, Carolina got wins in four of six singles matches to advance to Sunday's semifinals, where the Tar Heels will meet their most familiar foe and top-seeded Duke. Carolina (9-0) stormed out of the gate in doubles to take the all-important early advantage. Baylor (4-1) moved ahead with a pair of wins at Nos. 1 and 3. No. 24 Nina Secerbegovic tied the match with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Jelena Durisic at No. 3, and No. 17 Broosova gave the Lady Bears their first lead with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Tsang at the top of the lineup. But Grabinski would quickly pull the Tar Heels back even with her 6-1, 7-5 win over Taylor Ormond at No. 5, setting the stage for Carolina to score another upset. With the even courts left to decide the match, UNC went back in front thanks to another dominant performance by Featherston, extending her unbeaten dual record to 8-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Carla Lindlar. 25th ranked Sanaz Marand would put Carolina over the top, however, rallying to win six of the final seven games to secure a 6-1, 6-4 win and yet another upset win for the Tar Heels. UNC has now defeated four top-10 opponents in the last three trips to Madison.
First Round Matchup: North Carolina def. No. 4 Georgia, 5-2
Quarterfinal Matchup: North Carolina def. No. 5 Baylor, 5-2
Semifinal Matchup: North Carolina vs. No. 1 Duke - 3:30 p.m. (CT)

North Carolina 5, #5 Baylor 2
Doubles
1. #6 Grabinski/Marand (UNC) def. #13 Borsanyi/Broosova (BU) 8-2
2. #22 Tsang/Featherston (UNC) def. Ormond/Lindlar (BU) 8-6
3. #28 Hemm/Ffriend (UNC) def. Secerbegovic/Filipiak (BU) 8-5

Singles
1. #17 Lenka Broosova (BU) def. #100 Katrina Tsang (UNC) 6-3, 6-1
2. #25 Sanaz Marand (UNC) def. #70 Csilla Borsanyi (BU) 6-1, 6-4
3. #24 Nina Secerbegovic (BU) def. Jelena Durisic (UNC) 6-2, 6-1
4. Zoe de Bruycker (UNC) def. Karolina Filipiak (BU), 4-6, 6-4, (10-7)
5. Sophie Grabinski (UNC) def. Taylor Ormond (BU) 6-1, 7-5
6. Shinann Featherston (UNC) def. Carla Lindlar (BU) 6-1, 6-1


For complete results, visit www.itatennis.com. Play on Sunday begins at 9 a.m. at the A.C. Nielsen Tennis Stadium and admission is free.


 

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