FORT WORTH, Texas – Members of the UCF women's tennis team ended their time at the ITF Fort Worth Pro Tennis Classic this week. Both Knights who participated, Noel Saidenova and Jantje Tilbuerger, reached the main draw of singles in the tournament.
Both players came into the qualifying draw in the top five seeds in the tournament, with Tilbuerger seeded at No. 2 and Saidenova seeded at No. 5.
Saidenova swiftly made her way through the qualifying draw, taking sound victories over both of her opponents. She first faced Louisiana Tech's Najah Dawson, who came in as a wild card player. Saidenova defeated Dawson in straight sets with a score of 6-4, 6-0 to advance. Saidenova then went on to play University of Texas's Malaika Rapolu, who she took down in straight sets again by a score of 6-1, 6-4, advancing to the main draw. She ended the tournament in this first round of the main draw, where she took one of three sets by a score of 7-5, 5-7, 2-6, losing to Carson Branstine, another tournament qualifier.
Tilbuerger also took down both of her opponents in the qualifying draw as the number two seed. She first faced off against Vivien Sandberg, a junior from Nebraska, who put her through a close match. Tilbuerger came out on top by a score of 7-6, 6-4. The second match of qualifying came easier for Tilbuerger, breezing to a straight set victory against Alanis Hamilton by a score of 6-2, 6-1. The first round of main draw also brought Tilbuerger's tournament play to an end, when she faced off against Madison Sieg, who took the match in two sets with a score of 7-6, 6-1.
UP NEXT
UCF will play its final collegiate tournament of the fall on October 28-30, when the Knights travel to the Jacksonville Classic, hosted by North Florida. The Black and Gold have two additional professional tournaments on the schedule, its next being the ITF W15 Champaign, Illinois tournament that begins November 7.
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