ORLANDO, Fla. (UCFKnights.com) – The UCF women’s tennis team capped its first collegiate tournament of the fall on Sunday with the Bedford Cup down at the University of Miami. Rebeka Stolmar headlined the Knights’ weekend with a pair of runner-up finishes.
The Hungarian international reached the finals of the main singles flight against Lucia Marzal Martinez from Miami. The sophomore fell in 6-2, 6-3 to the No. 2 seeded Martinez. To reach the finals, Stolmar edged Ulyana Shirokova, the No. 7 seed, in the quarterfinals over straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, before topping fellow Knight and No. 5 seed Ksenia Kuznetsova in a three-set thriller, 2-6, 6-4, 10-3, in the semifinals
Kuznetsova made her way to the semis by downing Komola Umarova from FIU, 6-1, 6-2, in the quarterfinals.
The duo teamed up for the main flight of doubles. Together, the tandem reached the final round after dispatching Julia Ascua and Maja Ornberg from FGCU, 7-5, and Constanza Gorches and Ana Paula Melilo from North Florida in the semis, 6-3. Kuznetsova and Stolmar came up short in the final round against Komola Umarova and Maryna Veksler of FIU, falling 6-2.
Sara Culbertson took down quarterfinal opponent Florencia Rossie from North Florida, 6-4, 6-1, in the singles second flight. The junior transfer came up one match short of the finals when she fell to Basak Akbas from FIU, 6-4, 6-3.
Freshman Valentina Martin won the singles third flight consolation final against Fredericka Tucker from Florida A&M.
Culbertson and Martin were paired together as the No. 2 seed in the doubles second flight. The pair of newcomers beat Jacara Gillis and Kristen Thoms fro FAU, 6-3 in the quarterfinals, before downing Bridget L. Forster and Patricia Villar of FIU, 6-2. Culbertson and Martin fell on the wrong side of a 6-0 defeat to the No. 1 seed Yuna Ito and Ulyana Shirokova from Miami.
The Knights will head to the ITA Southeast Regional next weekend.