Tide Duo Advances at ITA National Indoor Championships
11/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Alabama’s top doubles team of Robin Stephenson and Ashley Bentley advanced Thursday at the ITA National Indoor Championships in Columbus, Ohio. Stephenson also pulled out a three-set victory in singles over No. 27-ranked Catrina Thompson to make Alabama one of just three schools in the nation to advance at least one doubles team and one singles player into the quarterfinals of the nation’s second Grand Slam event of the season.
Stephenson and Bentley ripped through their first round opposition, Julie Blackmore and Caitlin O’Keefe of Ohio State, 8-2 to easily advance to Friday’s quarterfinals. The Crimson Tide duo took control of the match early and never relinquished. The win was their seventh on the season and school-record 39th together in their careers.
Thursday’s victory not only earned the duo a spot in the final eight, but it also gives Stephenson and Bentley another shot at the nation’s No.1-ranked team, Caroline Basu and Shadisha Robinson of Georgia. The two teams met just two weeks ago in the semifinals of the ITA Southern Regional Championship. Basu and Robinson walked away with an 8-5 win that day and advanced to win the tournament. The UGA duo also defeated Stephenson and Bentley in the second round of the 2004 Riviera All-American Championships.
“They are a really good team, but after we played them last time we felt like we wanted another crack at them,” Stephenson said. “This is a bigger tournament and we’ll take advantage of the opportunity.”
After rolling in doubles, both Stephenson and Bentley competed in singles. Fifth-seeded Stephenson was stretched to the limit by Notre Dame’s Catrina Thompson and Bentley fell to Pepperdine’s Bianca Dulgheru.
It appeared as though Stephenson would roll handily in the early-going after winning the first set 6-1. However, Thompson showed her resiliency and evened the match at one set apiece. In the third set, with Thompson serving and trailing 4-5, Stephenson broke serve to claim the match.
“It was a high level match,” Stephenson said. “I felt like I played really well and she didn’t play well early, but she came out and picked it up in the second set. I’m excited to get through to the second round.”
Doubles
Ashley Bentley/Robin Stephenson (UA) def. Julie Blackmore/Caitlin O'Keefe (OSU), 8-2
Singles
Robin Stephenson, Alabama (5), def. Catrina Thompson, Notre Dame, 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
Bianca Dulgheru (Pepp) def. Ashley Bentley (UA), 7-5, 6-2
