LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF women's tennis team sent a trio of players into the quarterfinals, as well as both doubles teams into the semifinals, of the Dick Vitale Intercollegiate Clay Court Classic on Friday. It was the Knights' first taste of action on clay courts this year.
Maria Martinez stormed through the first two rounds to reach the quarters. Playing as the No. 2 seed in the singles draw, the freshman easily downed Bridget Forster from FGCU in the opener 6-1, 6-0. The Spanish international later cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Daniela Ruiz Alvarez from Clemson in round two. Martinez will go up against Katie Kubitz from Florida on Saturday morning.
Monica Matias did not drop a set it either of her opening day fixtures. The native of Moca, Puerto Rico, upset the No. 3 seeded Katarina Stresnakova from Oklahoma State, 6-3, 6-2, before topping Florida's Peggy Porter 6-4, 6-3. The senior will go up against Ashley Bongart from Liberty on Saturday.
Natalia Serrano picked up a pair of POWER6 wins. The junior beat her first-round opponent Laura Marti of Clemson 6-4, 6-2. Serrano followed that up with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Virginia Tech's Katherin Butler. Serrano will duel the No. 4 seed Marina Guinart from Oklahoma State in the quarters.
Ksenia Kuznetsova beat Patricia Villar in the opening round 6-4, 6-3. The freshman went through a marathon match in the second round against Virginia Tech's Caroline Daxhelet. After dropping the first, Kuznetsova rallied in the second set, but fell in the third-set tiebreak, 6-1, 6-7, 7-6 (2).
In doubles play, Kuznetsova and Martinez, as the No. 2 seed, hardly missed a beat with an 8-1 win over Liberty's Ashley Bongart and Maria Elena Medina Betancourt, before defeating Stevie Kennedy and Alexis Pereira from TCU, 8-2. Kuznetsova and Martinez will battle USF's Alexandria Mjos and Ana Roman Dominguez for a bid to the championship match.
Serrano and Matias faced a tougher path to the semis. The duo outlasted Clemson's Alvarez and Laura Marti, 8-7, and defeated Darya Possokhova and Maria Ross from Boston College in the quarters. Serrano and Matias will go up against the No. 1 seeded pairing from Oklahoma State of Guinart and Stresnakova.
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