The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
ITA Regionals
Blazers Have Busy Day at ITA South Regional
10/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Oct. 21, 2006
TUSCALUSA, Ala.-- The UAB women's tennis team continued play in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) South Regional on Friday with the doubles pairing of Gulsah Esen and Nischa Maier-Knapp highlighting the Blazers' day. Esen and Maier-Knapp won three doubles matches including one over the number three seed to advance to Saturday's semifinals in the Flight B doubles draw.
Due to inclement weather, only the "A" singles draw competed on Thursday and then resumed on Friday with Julia von Samson and Maier-Knapp each losing in the first round in the consolation bracket. Von Samson lost to Florida's Csilla Borsanyi, 6-1, 6-4, while Maier-Knapp lost to Emese Sulyos of Jacksonville, 6-4, 6-1.
In the Flight B singles draw, Esen was victorious in her opening round match, 6-1, 6-0, over Bethune-Cookman's Valerie Kendrick before losing in the second round to Elna de Villiers of Mississippi State. Seden Soyalp fell in her opening match, 6-4, 6-1 to Catherine Canady of Stetson, while Samrin Tanzeem took advantage of being in the middle of the draw, winning two matches en route to Saturday's round of 16.
Tanzeem first beat Florida A&M's Sara Brinkley, 6-4, 6-2, before beating UCF's Jennifer Carati, 6-2, 6-3 in the second round. Tanzeem will now face fourth seeded Tapiwa Marobela of Florida State on Saturday.
Also in the "B" draw for the Blazers was Antonia Nugent who lost a tough three-setter in the opening round to Jil Hasternath of Auburn, 4-6, 6-3, 6-1, while Annemieke Elsholz fell 6-0, 6-3 in her first round match to Natalia Sanchez of North Florida. Magdalena Czernik won a highly competitive first round match against Anna Leonenko of Stetso, 6-4, 6-7, 7-6, before losing in the second round, 7-6, 6-2 to Kimber Redfern of Florida A&M.
In doubles action, Esen and Maier-Knapp won three matches on Friday to advance to Saturday's semifinal. In their first round match, Esen/Maier-Knapp defeated Gouivia/Shaw of Troy, 8-6, and then in the second round beat Kendrick/Palakova of Bethune-Cookman, 8-5. In the third round, the duo knocked off the number three seeds, Eisberry/Fakhoury from Georgia, 8-4.
The Blazers will continue play at the ITA South Regional on Saturday.
