The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
UTC Invitational
UAB Freshman Shines On Opening Day at UTC Fall Classic
9/21/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Sept. 21, 2007
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. -The UAB women's tennis team opened its 2007-08 season at the UTC Baras Collegiate Fall Classic on Friday with several Blazers competing in marathon matches on the tournament's opening day in Chattanooga. The biggest win of the day for the Blazers came from freshman Jenny Cape who knocked off the No. 4 seed in the "B" singles draw.
In the "A" singles draw, senior Seden Soyalp was in the first wave of matches for the day and was handed a 6-3, 6-4 defeat by Middle Tennessee's Marlene Chemin. On the bottom half of the draw, second-seeded Gulsah Esen was ousted in a lengthy three-setter against Eastern Kentucky's Alexandra Sitnikova, 5-7, 6-4, 6-4.
In the "B" singles bracket, Cape won her first collegiate match by beating Yuliya Zalenskaya of North Alabama, 6-1, 6-1, before going on to knock off fourth-seeded Katie Rhodes from Belmont in the round of 16, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4.
Senior Antonia Nugent won in three sets in her opening round match in the "B" singles draw against Mercedes Cobos of Kennesaw State, 3-6, 7-6, 6-1.
Another UAB freshman that shined on Friday was Evelien Strijker who earned a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Lindsey Whalen from Kennesaw State in her first match of the "C" singles draw.
In doubles action, Cape and Soyalp pulled off a first round upset in the "A" draw, beating the fourth-seeded pairing of Johansson and Poso from Belmont, 8-2. The duo later advanced to the semifinals with a 9-8 quarterfinal victory over Pimenova/Sitnikova from Eastern Kentucky.
UAB had one doubles team competing in the "B" draw, that being Nugent and freshman Jessica Orton who lost an 8-6 decision in the opening round.
The Blazers will resume action in Chattanooga Saturday morning.
