MALIBU, Calif. (UCFKnights.com) – Valeriya Zeleva of the UCF women's tennis team had a productive first day of the Oracle ITA Masters, winning her first singles match as well as a set of mixed doubles.
The day began with Zeleva teaming up with Gabriel Decamps of the UCF men's tennis team to play in a mixed doubles tournament, something uncommon in college tennis. Zeleva and Decamps started their day against Van Wyk and Tomasetti from Weber State and Northern Arizona respectively. They came into the tournament ranked as the No. 22 duo while Zeleva and Decamps were ranked No. 11. The Knight pair prevailed by a score of 7-6 (7-3) to win their first mixed doubles round and advance to the round of 16. That round would take place later in the day after Zeleva and Decamps played their own individual rounds.
Zeleva's first round of singles was against Michaela Heat of Rice, who was ranked as the No. 23 seed in a pool of 32 players. Heat came into the tournament with a national ranking of No. 38. Zeleva is slated as the No. 10 seed in the tournament with a national ranking of No. 29. Zeleva would earn the 6-3, 6-2 victory to advance to the round of 16 in the main women's singles draw.
The win means that Zeleva will meet Anna Turati of Texas tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET tomorrow. Turati is the No. 8 seed in the tournament and ranked No. 17 in the nation. Turati downed Sam Houston State's Sahaja Yamalapalli 6-2, 6-0 in the round of 32.
Zeleva's first day of the Oracle ITA Maters concluded with a loss in mixed doubles alongside Decamps. The pair fell to Gui Osorio and Ashley Lahey of San Diego and Pepperdine respectively by a score of 6-3. Osorio and Lahey were the sixth overall seed of the tournament. With no mixed doubles consolation bracket, Zeleva and Decamps' time together as a duo in the tournament has reached its end.
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Zeleva will face No. 17 Anna Turati of Texas tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET. Rebeka Stolmar, Marie Mattel, Nandini Sharma and Domenika Turkovic will be in action on the east coast beginning at 9 a.m. as part of the USTA Fall Collegiate Classic.
