The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
ITA South Regionals
Blazers Advance Three In First Day Of ITA Southern Regionals
10/13/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Oct. 13, 2005
ATHENS, Ga. --- In the opening day at the ITA Southern Regionals Thursday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex, the UAB women's tennis team had three players advance to the round of 16 in flight "B" singles. Samrin Tanzeem, Seden Soyalp and Julia von Samson all advanced to the third round for the Blazers.
Tanzeem was a 6-3, 6-0 winner over Claire Conerly of Ole Miss, before beating Bethune-Cookman's Kiara Powell, 7-5, 6-3. Soyalp received a bye in the first round and then defeated Patricia Assumpcao of Mercer, 6-2, 6-3. von Samson, who also had a bye in the first round, was a 6-1, 6-2 winner over Florida State's Alina Mihailescu.
"I'm so pleased that all of these players have advanced to the round of 16," said UAB head coach Mert Ertunga. "Samrin played two brilliant matches, executing exactly what she and I have been talking about during practice last week. Seden and Julia have also had good practices lately and it carried over to their matches."
In flight "A" singles, Ornischa Maier-Knapp defeated Southeast Missouri State's Bryce Kristal, 6-1, 6-4, but fell in the next round to the No. 13 seed, Georgia Tech's Tarryn Rudman, 6-1, 5-7, 6-2. In the same flight, Gulsah Esen fell to the No. 1 seed, Alabama's Robin Stephenson, 6-3, 6-0.
"Gulsah had a tough draw in her opening match," said Ertunga. "Ornischa is showing signs of becoming one of the best players we have ever had at UAB. She played a great match against one of the best players in our region."
Also in flight "B", Annemieke Elsholz fell in her opening match, losing to UCF's Becky Gordon, 6-3, 6-1. Antonia Nugent had a bye in the first round, but was defeated by Mississippi State's Renee Joseph, 6-1, 6-1.
Action will continue Friday with two rounds of doubles and another round of singles play.
