TicketsLast Updated: 5:30 PM on October 9
CINCINNATI – The Cincinnati women’s tennis team continued the ITA Fall Ohio Valley Regional Championship Friday at the Lindner Family Tennis Center in Mason, Ohio. The second day consisted of the round of 64 main draw singles and doubles play.
In singles, Cincinnati’s Tara Kurepa, Gabby Guenther, Sara Watanabe and Elizabeth Fauchet hit the court. Guenther found a win in her singles match, defeating Clara Owen of Miami (OH) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3. This win secured her a spot in the round of 32 for singles, which will begin play on Saturday. Kurepa, Watanabe, and Fauchet were defeated in their matches.
All three Bearcat doubles teams, Guenther/Kurepa, Bull/Forte and Fauchet/Watanabe, found a win to secure their spot in the round of 32 doubles. Guenther/Kurepa had an early 8-1 win against Murray State, Bull/Forte defeated Southern Indiana 8-6, and Fauchet/Watanabe found a 8-6 win over Western Kentucky as the last match to finish for the day. Cincinnati’s fourth doubles team of Fuduric/Popovski had to withdraw due to illness and did not see play.
Saturday’s events will begin at 9 a.m. with the round of 32 doubles, followed by the round of 32 singles, and concluded by the round of the 16 doubles.
Last Updated: 6:00 PM on October 8
Opening day consisted of qualifying singles rounds, where 64 players battled for 16 spots in the main draw.
Cincinnati saw representation from sophomore Tara Kurepa and freshmen Elizabeth Fauchet, Dani Forte, Emme Bull and Lucia Fuduric in the qualifying round. Kurepa (7-5, 6-1), Fauchet (6-2, 7-5), and Forte (6-7, 6-4, 6-1) all found wins in their first matches. Fuduric was defeated in her first match 7-5, 6-4 by Miami (Ohio), but notably won her consolation match 6-2, 6-4. Forte was defeated in her second match 6-4, 6-4 against Lipscomb.
Kurepa (6-3, 2-6, 7-6) and Fauchet (6-3, 6-1) both found wins in their second matches, advancing them to the main draw of singles, which starts play on Friday. Also competing in the main draw of singles is pre-qualified seniors Gabby Guenther and Sara Watanabe.
Four Bearcat doubles teams, Guenther/Kurepa, Fauchet/Watanabe, Fuduric/Popovski and Bull/Forte are slated to compete in the doubles main draw on Friday as well.
// ABOUT THE ITA REGIONALS
The ITA Fall Regional Championships include more than 8,000 student-athletes from NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA, junior colleges and community colleges competing across 85 ITA Regional Championships around the country. The two singles finalists from each regional earn automatic berths in the NCAA Singles Championship, while the regional doubles champion earns an automatic berth in the NCAA Doubles Championship. The NCAA Individual Championships will be held Nov. 17-22 in Athens, Georgia.
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