Crimson Tide Continue Play at SEC Fall Coaches Classic
11/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Peachtree City, Ga. ?? The University of Alabama women's tennis team continued competition in its final tournament of the fall on Friday and Saturday at the 2006 SEC Fall Coaches Classic in Peachtree City, Ga.
On Saturday three players earned victories in singles action for the Crimson Tide. In the B draw, Shelley Godwin won two straight tiebreakers for a 7-6, 7-6 victory over Renee Joseph of Mississippi State. Paulina Bigos and Bianca Svensson each won their singles match in the D draw. Bigos won a very close match 7-5, 7-6 against Auburn's Heather Bybee. Svensson claimed a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Melissa Hoffmeister of Arkansas.
Four Alabama players suffered losses in singles Saturday. Mari Muller fell 6-4, 7-6 to Auburn's Alex Haney in the A draw. Sofia Ayala lost in straight sets to Carolina Escamilla of Kentucky 6-2, 6-4 in the B draw. Nicole Briceno lost her first set 6-4 to Mississippi State's Elna de Villiers but came back to switch the score around for a 6-4 win to force a third set. However, she could not keep up the momentum as Villiers took the final set 6-3 for the match win in the C draw. Alice Tunaru was defeated for the first time in singles this weekend in the D draw. Adrienne Elsberry of Georgia downed Tunaru in straight sets 6-3, 6-2. Andrea Brenes did not play in singles due to a default.
Of the four doubles matches on Saturday, the Crimson Tide was only able to play two due to defaults. Ayala and Brenes were edged in a tiebreaker against Vanderbilt's Taka Bertrand and Catherine Newman 9-8 in an A draw match. Bigos and Tunaru were doubled up 8-4 by Joseph and de Villiers of MSU in the B draw. In the A draw, Muller and Briceno's oppenents defaulted as did Godwin and Svensson's in the B draw.
"We need more time, more work and more match play," said Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz. "We are focused on constant improvement and gettting better each day. We wrap up our fall season tomorrow with one doubles match followed by one singles match. We need to capitalize on our opportunities tomorrow."
On Friday the SEC schools kicked off the singles competition with two rounds. Tunaru was the highlight of the day for Alabama, winning both of her matches in the D draw. She won 6-4, 6-2 against Caroline Ferrell of Vanderbilt and 6-3, 6-4 against Auburn's Heather Bybee. Bigos won her first match of the D draw, defeating Kelly Adams of Auburn 6-4, 6-4. Bigos went on to lose her second match 6-1, 6-2 against Vanderbilt's Hannah Blatt. Briceno also started the day with a win. She downed Valeriya Makarycheva of Mississippi State 6-1, 7-5 in the C draw. Nanar Airapetian of Arkansas then won straight sets after losing a first-set tiebreaker against Briceno for a 6-7, 6-3, 6-4 match victory.
Muller, Ayala and Svensson each only played one singles match on Friday. Muller lost to Georgia's Darya Ivanov 6-4, 6-0. Muller was forced to withdraw from her second match due to an injury. Ayala took the second-seed in the B draw to three sets. She won the first set, 6-4, against Lolita Frangulyan but lost the next two 6-1, 6-3. Ayala's opponent withdrew from the next match. Svensson had a bye in the first round of the D draw. In her first match, she lost to Whitney Spencer of Kentucky 6-2, 6-4.
The other two Alabama players in action were Godwin and Brenes. Godwin could not get anything going against Amanda Taylor of Vanderbilt, the top seed in the B draw. Taylor swept the match 6-0, 6-3. Godwin went on to face Nicole Kantor of LSU and lost 7-6, 6-0. Brenes could not rebound from a 7-6 tiebreaker loss in her first set against Courtney Ulery of Vanderbilt. Ulery went on to win the match with a 6-2 second-set victory. Brenes also lost in straight sets to Tennessee's Zsofia Zubor 6-0, 6-3.
The SEC Fall Coaches Classic will wrap up on Sunday with one more round of both singles and doubles. The tournament is the final competition of the fall for the Crimson Tide.
Friday Results
Singles
A Draw
Darya Ivanov (Georgia) def. Mari Muller (Alabama) 6-4, 6-0
B Draw
Amanda Taylor (Vanderbilt) def. Shelley Godwin (Alabama) 6-0, 6-3
Nicole Kantor (LSU) def. Shelley Godwin (Alabama) 7-6, 6-0
Lolita Frangulyan (Florida) def. Sofia Ayala (Alabama) 4-6, 6-1, 6-3
C Draw
Courtney Ulery (Vanderbilt) def. Andrea Brenes (Alabama) 7-6, 6-2
Zsofia Zubor (Tennessee) def. Andrea Brenes (Alabama) 6-0, 6-3
Nicole Briceno (Alabama) def. Valeriya Makarycheva (MSU) 6-1, 7-5
Nanar Airapetian (Arkansas) def. Nicole Briceno (Alabama) 6-7, 6-3, 6-4
D Draw
Whitney Spencer (Kentucky) def. Bianca Svensson (Alabama) 6-2, 6-4
Paulina Bigos (Alabama) def. Kelly Adams (Auburn) 6-4, 6-4
Hannah Blatt (Vanderbilt) def. Paulina Bigos (Alabama) 6-1, 6-2
Alice Tunaru (Alabama) def. Caroline Ferrell (Vanderbilt) 6-4, 6-2
Alice Tunaru (Alabama) def. Heather Bybee (Auburn) 6-3, 6-4
Saturday Results
Doubles
A Draw
Catherine Newman and Taka Bertrand (Vanderbilt) def. Mari Muller and Nicole Briceno (Alabama) 9-8
B Draw
Renee Joseph and Elna de Villiers (MSU) def. Paulina Bigos and Alice Tunaru (Alabama) 8-4
Singles
A Draw
Alex Haney (Auburn) def. Mari Muller (Alabama) 6-4, 7-6
B Draw
Shelley Godwin (Alabama) def. Renee Joseph (MSU) 7-6, 7-6
Carolina Escamilla (Kentucky) def. Sofia Ayala (Alabama) 6-2, 6-4
C Draw
Elna de Villiers (MSU) def. Nicole Briceno (Alabama) 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
D Draw
Paulina Bigos (Alabama) def. Heather Bybee (Auburn) 7-5, 7-6
Adrienne Elsberry (Georgia) def. Alice Tunaru (Alabama) 6-3, 6-2
Bianca Svensson (Alabama) def. Melissa Hoffmeister (Arkansas) 6-3, 6-3
