April 15, 2015
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By Nate Blythe
UCFKnights.com
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TULSA, Okla. (UCFKnights.com) - The sixth-seed Knights opened the American Athletic Conference Women's Tennis Championship with a 4-0 victory over in-state rival No. 11 USF on Wednesday morning at the Michael D. Case Tennis Center. UCF won a pair of doubles matches and tallied singles wins by junior Caroline Eberhart, sophomore Cortney Cesarini and freshman Kennan Johnson.
In the March 25 4-3 loss at USF where UCF jumped out to a 3-0 lead, Cesarini was the last Knight on the court. She won the first set, held a lead in the second set before falling in a tiebreaker, 7-5, and dropped the third frame.
The Bradenton, Fla., native sought her revenge on Wednesday by clinching the match for the Knights at No. 2 with a 6-4 triumph in the third set. Cesarini took the first set, 6-4, but her opponent evened up the match with a 6-2 win in the second.
The UCF (13-6) victory was the first time the program won a dual-match over the Bulls since taking three-straight matches from 2002-04. The two schools have played each other on an annual basis, but have only been in the same conference since 2014.
The Knights,, who have won five in a row since that loss to USF, started the morning with doubles play as freshman Monica Matias and Cesarini came up with a 6-4 victory at No. 3. The duo of Eberhart and Johnson teamed up at No. 1 to secure the doubles point with a 6-3.
With indoor courts being used and only three singles matches being played at a time, Johnson continued the momentum for the Knights by tallying a pair of 6-2 victories to up the advantage to 2-0.
After falling in the first set, 6-3, Eberhart bounced back with a 6-2 victory to force a decisive third set. The Mishawaka, Ind., native completed the come back with a 6-3 win at No. 1.
Senior Sofia Baptista, junior Clare Mendell and Matias were in the first set of their matches when Cesarini clinched the match.
The Knights move on to battle tournament host Tulsa on Thursday at 4 p.m. The Golden Hurricane, who enter the match seeded No. 3, sit atop a 13-win season and a 3-1 conference record.
USF vs UCF
Apr 15, 2015 at Tulsa, Okla.
(Michael D. Case Tennis Center)
UCF 4, USF 0
Singles competition
1. Caroline Eberhart (UCF) def. O. Garrido-Rivas (USF) 3-6, 6-2, 6-3
2. Cortney Cesarini (UCF) def. Vera Bessonova (USF) 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
3. Kennan Johnson (UCF) def. Olga Martinez (USF) 6-2, 6-2
4. Clare Mendell (UCF) vs. Juliana Cardoso (USF) 2-4, unfinished
5. Monica Matias (UCF) vs. J. Cortes Chaves (USF) 4-1, unfinished
6. Sofia Baptista (UCF) vs. L. Argente Escamilla (USF) 3-2, unfinished
Doubles competition
1. Caroline Eberhart/Kennan Johnson (UCF) def. Olga Martinez/Vera Bessonova (USF) 6-3
2. Clare Mendell/Sofia Baptista (UCF) vs. J. Cortes Chaves/Juliana Cardoso (USF) 4-5, unfinished
3. Cortney Cesarini/Monica Matias (UCF) def. O. Garrido-Rivas/Hailey Grillo (USF) 6-4
Match Notes:
USF 4-16
UCF 13-6
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,1,2)
American Athletics Conference Championship
T-1:52 A-56