The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
ITA Texas Regional Championships
Ellis reaches singles finals at ITA Texas Regional Championships
10.19.2009 | Women's Tennis
Oct. 19, 2009
WACO, Texas -- Texas freshman Aeriel Ellis continued her torrid fall season by adding a pair of singles wins to secure a berth in the finals of the main singles draw Monday at the ITA Texas Regional Championships.
Ellis (Hayward, Calif.) started the day by ousting Baylor's Csilla Borsanyi from the singles quarterfinals, 6-3, 6-1. That set up a semifinal match-up with UT sophomore Krista Damico, a 6-1, 6-4 winner over Baylor's top-seeded Lenka Broosova in the quarterfinals.
Damico took the first set, 6-4 before Ellis rallied to take the next two sets, 6-0, 6-2 to win the match and secure her berth in Tuesday's finals. Ellis will take on Baylor's eighth-seeded Nina Secerbegovic in the finals.
Junior Abby Liu and sophomore Carlene Leyden tallied a pair of victories and secured a berth in Tuesday's doubles consolation finals. The Texas tandem eliminated Houston's Bryony Hunter and Elena Kazakova by an 8-5 count in the quarterfinals before dropping SMU's Casey Kennedy and Sophie Quist by an 8-3 margin in the semifinals.
In the finals, the Texas duo will take on SMU's Nicole Briceno and Shahazoda Hatamova, who defeated Texas sophomores Julia Wiegand and Maya Zein-El-Abdin in the semifinals. Wiegand and Zein-El-Abdin reached the semifinals after knocking off Sam Houston State's Laura Peschke and Cally Woerner by an 8-2 count in the quarterfinals.
POST-MATCH QUOTES
Texas head coach Patty Fendick-McCain
"I am really happy for Aeriel Ellis. She wasn't able to practice much this week and she struggled early in the tournament to find her form. She fought through it and was incredibly determined. She played great in both of her matches today to reach the final. She has played a lot of tennis in the past two weeks. She is incredibly strong, both physically and mentally.
"I am also extremely happy for Krista. She had a great tournament. She was so tough out there. She had a great come-from-behind win against (Texas A&M's Elze) Potgieter yesterday. She played great tennis to win that match and to beat (Baylor's Lenka) Broosova today. She started off with some amazing shots to win the first set against Aeriel in the semis but just got outplayed in the end. I am so proud of Krista and how she competed this week.
"Amanda Craddock. She had a good run. She took out a very talented (Nazari) Urbina from Texas A&M in the first round and then rallied in the round of 16 from a set and 3-0 down against a feisty Rice player to make the quarters. She has been so focused, and it is so fun to see her finding her form.
"Carlene Leyden and Abby Liu have been on a tear. They had a rough draw in the main draw and have just been playing great. They have taken out a lot of very good teams. They are playing great!"
ITA Texas Regional Championships
Singles Quarterfinals
Krista Damico (UT) def. (1) Lenka Broosova (BU) - 6-1, 6-4
Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. Csilla Borsanyi (BU) - 6-3, 6-1
Kayla Duncan (TCU) def. Amanda Craddock (UT) - 6-2, 6-2
Singles Semifinals
Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. Krista Damico (UT) - 4-6, 6-0, 6-2
Singles Consolation Quarterfinals
Nazari Urbina (TAMU) def. Abby Liu (UT) - 6-2, 6-1
Doubles Quarterfinals
Frank/Santocroce (TAMU) def. Corovic/Lancaster (UT) - 8-3
Potgieter/Urbina (TAMU) def. Craddock/Damico (UT) - 9-7
Doubles Consolation Quarterfinals
Leyden/Liu (UT) def. Bryony Hunter/Elena Kazakova (Houston) - 8-5
Wiegand/Zein-El-Abdin (UT) def. Laura Peschke/Cally Woerner (SHSU) - 8-2
Doubles Consolation Semifinals
Leyden/Liu (UT) def. Casey Kennedy/Sophie Quist (SMU) - 8-3
Nicole Briceno/Shahazoda Hatamova (SMU) def. Wiegand/Zein-El-Abdin (UT) - 8-5
