University of Tennessee Athletics
Lady Vols Emphatically Continue ITA Regional Success
October 23, 2021 | Women's Tennis
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Three singles players advanced to the semifinals while a pair of double teams broke through the round of 16 into the quarterfinals Saturday evening in a stellar third day of action for the Tennessee women's tennis team.
Elza Tomase continued her march through the singles ladder, winning convincingly, 6-0, 6-1 against Fiona Arrese from Kentucky. She came back in the quarterfinals and faced a battle of a first set, taking it 7-5 against Vanderbilt's Dasha Kourkina. She buckled down and powered through the second set, 6-0 to punch her ticket to the semifinals.
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Rebeka Mertena was challenged in her first match of the day. She dropped the first set 4-6, and with her back against the wall, took a second set tiebreak, 7-6(4). Her poise and experience shined through as the third set she was in control, winning 6-2. Her quarterfinal match continued with a similar complexion as she dropped Brindtha Ramasamy from Miami (Ohio), 6-3, 6-1.
Mertena and Tomase joined forces for doubles after both making it to the singles semifinals. The pair showed no signs of fatigue, rolling van Hee and Bosman from Chattanooga, 8-3, in the round of 32. The round of 16 had no slowing, as the team secured an 8-1 decision over Cruz and Kourkina of Vanderbilt.
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Olivia Symons was the third Lady Vol to punch her card to the semifinals. She met Laylo Bakhodirova of ETSU in the round of 32 and secured a 6-4, 6-4 win. Her second match she found a 6-3, 7-5 win against Carmen Gallardo Guevara of Purdue.
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Symons also used the momentum into her doubles play with Tenika McGiffin where the team battled to an 8-3 victory over Peeler/Kaplan of Ball State. Their second match continued the positive momentum with an 8-2 finish over Young/Billman of Chattanooga.
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The Lady Vols will be back in action tomorrow morning for semifinal singles action. That play will follow with two rounds of doubles to decide the regional finals which will occur Monday. There will be at least one Lady Vol in the singles championship match as Symons and Tomase face off in the singles semifinals.
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Day Three Results
Singles
Main Draw R16
Rebeka Mertena(UT) def. Marcella Cruz(VU) 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2
Olivia Symons(UT) def. Laylo Bakhodirova(ETSU) 6-4, 6-4
Elza Tomase(UT) def. Fiona Arrese(UK) 6-0, 6-1
Camila Romero(UM) def. Daria Kuczer(UT) 7-5, 6-4
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Consolation R84
Esther Adeshina(UT) def. Blessing Nwaozuzu(XU) 6-2, 6-3
Callie Creath(UT) def. Sara Zalukar(MUO) 6-3, 6-2
Elizabeth Pendergast(UC) def. Eleonora Molinaro(UT) 6-4, 3-0 ret.
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Main Draw Quarterfinals
Rebeka Mertena(UT) def. Brindtha Ramasamy(MUO) 6-3, 6-1
Olivia Symons(UT) def. Carmen Gallardo Guevara(PU) 6-3, 7-5
Elza Tomase(UT) def. Dasha Kourkina(VU) 7-5, 6-0
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Doubles
Main Draw R32
Rebeka Mertena/Elza Tomase(UT) def. van Hee/Bosman(UTC) 8-3
Tenika McGiffin/Olivia Symons(UT) def. Peeler/Kaplan(BSU) 8-3
Arrese/Gonzalez(UK) def. Callie Creath/Kylie Duckworth(UT) 8-6
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Consolation R32
Esther Adeshina/Daria Kuczer(UT) def. Alfaro/Gorbunova(ETSU) 8-4
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Main Draw R16
Rebeka Mertena/Elza Tomase(UT) def. Cruz/Kourkina(VU) 8-1
Tenika McGiffin/Olivia Symons(UT) def. Young/Billman(UTC) 8-2
Elza Tomase continued her march through the singles ladder, winning convincingly, 6-0, 6-1 against Fiona Arrese from Kentucky. She came back in the quarterfinals and faced a battle of a first set, taking it 7-5 against Vanderbilt's Dasha Kourkina. She buckled down and powered through the second set, 6-0 to punch her ticket to the semifinals.
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Rebeka Mertena was challenged in her first match of the day. She dropped the first set 4-6, and with her back against the wall, took a second set tiebreak, 7-6(4). Her poise and experience shined through as the third set she was in control, winning 6-2. Her quarterfinal match continued with a similar complexion as she dropped Brindtha Ramasamy from Miami (Ohio), 6-3, 6-1.
Mertena and Tomase joined forces for doubles after both making it to the singles semifinals. The pair showed no signs of fatigue, rolling van Hee and Bosman from Chattanooga, 8-3, in the round of 32. The round of 16 had no slowing, as the team secured an 8-1 decision over Cruz and Kourkina of Vanderbilt.
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Olivia Symons was the third Lady Vol to punch her card to the semifinals. She met Laylo Bakhodirova of ETSU in the round of 32 and secured a 6-4, 6-4 win. Her second match she found a 6-3, 7-5 win against Carmen Gallardo Guevara of Purdue.
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Symons also used the momentum into her doubles play with Tenika McGiffin where the team battled to an 8-3 victory over Peeler/Kaplan of Ball State. Their second match continued the positive momentum with an 8-2 finish over Young/Billman of Chattanooga.
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The Lady Vols will be back in action tomorrow morning for semifinal singles action. That play will follow with two rounds of doubles to decide the regional finals which will occur Monday. There will be at least one Lady Vol in the singles championship match as Symons and Tomase face off in the singles semifinals.
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Day Three Results
Singles
Main Draw R16
Rebeka Mertena(UT) def. Marcella Cruz(VU) 4-6, 7-6(4), 6-2
Olivia Symons(UT) def. Laylo Bakhodirova(ETSU) 6-4, 6-4
Elza Tomase(UT) def. Fiona Arrese(UK) 6-0, 6-1
Camila Romero(UM) def. Daria Kuczer(UT) 7-5, 6-4
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Consolation R84
Esther Adeshina(UT) def. Blessing Nwaozuzu(XU) 6-2, 6-3
Callie Creath(UT) def. Sara Zalukar(MUO) 6-3, 6-2
Elizabeth Pendergast(UC) def. Eleonora Molinaro(UT) 6-4, 3-0 ret.
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Main Draw Quarterfinals
Rebeka Mertena(UT) def. Brindtha Ramasamy(MUO) 6-3, 6-1
Olivia Symons(UT) def. Carmen Gallardo Guevara(PU) 6-3, 7-5
Elza Tomase(UT) def. Dasha Kourkina(VU) 7-5, 6-0
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Doubles
Main Draw R32
Rebeka Mertena/Elza Tomase(UT) def. van Hee/Bosman(UTC) 8-3
Tenika McGiffin/Olivia Symons(UT) def. Peeler/Kaplan(BSU) 8-3
Arrese/Gonzalez(UK) def. Callie Creath/Kylie Duckworth(UT) 8-6
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Consolation R32
Esther Adeshina/Daria Kuczer(UT) def. Alfaro/Gorbunova(ETSU) 8-4
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Main Draw R16
Rebeka Mertena/Elza Tomase(UT) def. Cruz/Kourkina(VU) 8-1
Tenika McGiffin/Olivia Symons(UT) def. Young/Billman(UTC) 8-2
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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