Oct. 30, 2014
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By Nate Blythe
UCFKnights.com
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ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) - The Knights began the USTA Collegiate Clay Court Invitational on Thursday with six victories posted at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World. UCF advanced four singles players and two doubles teams into the next day of competition.
Doubles started the morning with two groups of Knights in freshman Kennan Johnson / junior Caroline Eberhart and junior Clare Mendell / freshman Monica Matias winning their opening round matches. Johnson/Eberhart knocked off Auburn's Dikosavljevic/de Man by a 8-5 score, while a semifinal berth in bracket C was clinched by Mendell/Matias with a 8-4 win over Salibasic/Hill from Columbia.
Sophomore Cortney Cesarini / junior Sofia Baptista took No. 1 seeded Kucharova/Muller from Auburn down to the wire, but dropped the tiebreaker, 7-5 in bracket A.
In singles action, Mendell persevered after dropping the first set to Daniela Ruiz of Clemson, 6-3, and bounced back with a pair of 2-6 triumphs to move onto the quarterfinals of bracket B. A 7-6 (0), 6-1 victory was also notched by Johnson in the same bracket over Nehel Sahni of Youngstown State.
The C bracket saw Hepp, 6-1, 6-3, knock off Auburn's Mary Katheryn Lewis and Matias post a 6-0, 6-1 win over Brittany Hill from Stetson.
Both Knights in the A bracket, Cesarini and Eberhart pushed their opponents to a tiebreaker in at least one set before falling to foes from Texas Tech and Oklahoma State, respectively.
Singles play for the Knights begin at 8:30 a.m. for Hepp and Matias at Isleworth, while Mendell and Johnson start their matches at Grand Cypress at 9:30 a.m.
Three sites are being used for the tournament: Grand Cypress, Isleworth, and the Wide World of Sports Complex.
2014 USTA Collegiate Clay Court Invitational
Kissimmee, Fla. - ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex
Oct. 30, 2014
Singles A
11 a.m. - Hortense Bosher (Texas Tech) def. Cortney Cesarini (UCF), 7-6, 6-3
2 p.m. - Karen Guttormsen (Oklahoma State) def. Caroline Eberhart (UCF), 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Singles B
12:30 p.m. - Clare Mendell (UCF) def. Daniela Ruiz (Clemson), 2-6, 6-2, 6-2
- Advances to play at 9:30 a.m. Friday vs. Wendy Zhang (Miami (Fla.))
1 p.m. - Emily Fanning (FSU) def. Sofia Baptista (UCF), 7-5, 6-4
2 p.m - Kennan Johnson (UCF) vs. Nehel Sahni (Youngstown State), 7-6 (0), 6-1
- Advances to play at 9:30 a.m. Friday vs. Sinead Lohan (Miami (Fla.))
Singles C
3:30 p.m. - Annika Hepp (UCF) vs. Mary Katheryn Lewis (Auburn), 6-1, 6-3
- Advances to play at 8:30 a.m. Friday vs. Eveline Leinay (Syracue)
4 p.m. - Monica Matias (UCF) def. Brittany Hill (Stetson), 6-0, 6-1
- Advances to play at 8:30 a.m. Friday vs. Jennifer Pfeifler (Auburn)
Doubles A
8 a.m. - Kucharova/Muller (Auburn) def. Cortney Cesarini / Sofia Baptista (UCF), 8-7 (5)
Doubles B
Thurs. 9 a.m. - Kennan Johnson / Caroline Eberhart (UCF) def. Dikosavljevic/de Man (Auburn), 8-5
- Advances to play at 10:30 a.m. Saturday in semifinals
Doubles C
9 a.m. - Clare Mendell / Monica Matias def. Salibasic/Hill (Columbia), 8-5
- Advances to play at 3:30 p.m. Friday vs. Gillo/Argente (USF)