Oct. 25, 2014
UCF Athletics Social Media Directory
By Joey Nelson
UCFKnights.com
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+ Juan Varon Memorial Wildcat Tennis Invitational Results Page
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - UCF secured an impressive 11 victories in both singles and doubles competition on the second day of the Juan Varon Memorial Wildcat Tennis Invitational at the Florida Tennis Center.
Advancing four singles players to championship rounds within their respective draws, the Knights find themselves playing against familiar faces on Sunday as the team caps off the Daytona Beach clay-court tournament.
Junior Sofia Baptista and freshman Kennan Johnson will compete in the Singles A championship after the two put together dominating performances on the clay through their second round and semifinal matches. Baptista defeated Flagler's Esther Santiago 6-1, 6-0 and carried the Knights' momentum with her as she delivered a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Maria Goraz-Moreno of B-CU. Johnson continued the charge with back-to-back wins coming in the third set, displaying the young Knight's ability to close.
Doubles partners freshman Monica Matias and junior Clare Mendell will go head-to-head in the Singles B championship. Mendell handled Flagler's Hanna Goettsching 6-4, 7-5 early in the second round and proceeded to romp her second Flagler opponent, Kelly Stewart, 6-3, 6-1 in their semifinal matchup. Matias made quick work of FAMU's Arrice Robinson, 6-0, 6-1, and followed up her performance with an even more impressive victory over Chinatsu Kajiwara out of B-CU, 6-0, 6-2.
Suring up a 6-0, 6-1 performance over Michelle Chemaly of Florida State College-Jacksonville, sophomore Annika Hepp moved on to the semi-final match in the C flight where she took on B-CU's Marina Sablina. Hepp went on to save four match points at 5-6 in the third set and 1-5 in the tiebreaker to come back and win 8-6. She will face Dominique Henry of FAMU in the Singles C championship.
Doubles action started with a tough bout against Bethune-Cookman duo Matsuba/Sablina, where Matias and Mendell fell just shy in a third set super tiebreaker. However, the Knights bounced back by sweeping Florida Tech, 6-2, 6-4, behind the efforts of Baptista and Hepp. The duo faces B-CU's Kajiwara/Chinchilla in the Doubles B championship.
The Black and Gold wrap-up the Juan Varon Invitational Sunday with the unique opportunity of claiming four championship titles, two of which are guaranteed in the A and B flights.
WOMEN'S A SINGLES
2nd round
Sofia Baptista (UCF) def. Esther Santiago (Flagler) 6-1,6-0
Kennan Johnson (UCF) def. Barbara Sebokova (Flagler) 7-6,1-6,6-1
Semifinals
Sofia Baptista (UCF) def. Maria Goraz-Moreno (B-CU) 6-0,6-2
Kennan Johnson (UCF) def. Mina Matsuba (B-CU) 6-4,2-6,6-3
WOMEN'S B SINGLES
2nd Round
Clare Mendall (UCF) def. Hanna Goettsching (Flagler) 6-4,7-5
Monica Matias (UCF) def. Arrice Robinson (FAMU) 6-0,6-3
Semifinals
Clare Mendall (UCF) def. Kelly Stewart (Flagler) 6-3,6-1
Monica Matias (UCF) def. Chinatsu Kajiwara (B-CU) 6-0,6-2
WOMEN'S C SINGLES
2nd round
Annika Hepp (UCF) def. Michelle Chemaly (FSCJ) 6-0,6-1
Semifinals
Annika Hepp (UCF) def. Marina Sablina (B-CU) 6-3,3-6,7-6 (9-7)
WOMEN'S A DOUBLES
Semifinals
Matsuba/Sablina (B-CU) def. Matias/Mendall (UCF) 6-3,4-6 (10-6)
WOMEN'S B DOUBLES
Semifinals
Baptista/Hepp (UCF) def. Egoroff/Hergott (Florida Tech) 6-2,6-4