The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Women’s Tennis advances in consolation draws at ITA Fall Nationals
11.02.2023 | Women's Tennis
Graduate Tanya Sasnouskaya moved on in both singles and doubles, along with junior Sabina Zeynalova in doubles in San Diego on Thursday.
San Diego – Texas Women's Tennis advanced one singles player and one doubles pair in the consolation draws of the ITA National Fall Championships on Thursday in San Diego.
Graduate No. 18 Tanya Sasnouskaya moved on to the singles consolation quarterfinals with a 6-2, 6-4 victory over 5-8 seed #16 Irina Cantos Siemers of Ohio State. Meanwhile, Sasnouskaya and junior Sabina Zeynalova paired for a 6-2, 6-3 win over Phoebe Peus and Lindsey Hofflander of Brown to reach the doubles qualifying consolation round of 16.
In the other Texas matches, senior No. 99 Malaika Rapolu came up just short in a pair of tiebreakers against the No. 7 player in the country, 4 seed Ayana Akli of South Carolina, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3). Additionally, senior No. 74 Charlotte Chavatipon was downed by No. 47 Jessica Alsola of Cal in three sets, 6-1, 2-6, 7-5.
In Sasnouskaya's singles match, she picked up an early break for a 2-0 lead on a deuce point. That started a string of three-straight breaks between the players providing her a 3-1 lead before she held for 4-1. Cantos Siemers got one game back on serve for 4-2, but Sasnouskaya closed it out with a hold and a break to take the set. In the second, the first seven games stayed on serve to give Sasnouskaya a 4-3 lead. She then broke for a 5-3 edge, and although Cantos Siemers broke back to cut it to 5-4, Sasnouskaya answered again with the break to win the match.
Rapolu was edged in two tiebreakers, but in the first set, she won back-to-back deuce points to break and then hold for a 2-0 lead. Akli eventually got the break back to even it, 3-3, and after the players exchanged holds, they combined for a streak of four-straight breaks that included a set point for Rapolu while up, 5-4. That led to the tiebreaker where Rapolu opened with a mini-break, but Akli broke both of Rapolu's next two serves. Neither player would lead by more than one throughout the tiebreaker until Akli grabbed two straight for the 8-6 win. In the second set, Akli broke in the opening game, and after she took a 3-1 lead, Rapolu went on a 4-0 run to lead, 5-3. Akli then broke to get within one, and Rapolu again had a set point while leading, 5-4, but it came at deuce, and Akli was able to hold to tie it before it went to another tiebreaker. Rapolu took a 2-0 lead in that frame, but Akli set out on a 6-0 run to take control before capturing the win.
Chavatipon's match would go three sets with each player winning a set decisively. Alsola jumped out to a 4-0 run to begin the match, however both of Chavatipon's first two serves had gone to deuce before Alsola broke them. Chavatipon got one game back on a break, but Alsola secured a deuce-point break before serving out the set. In the second, it was Chavatipon's turn to break on a deuce point, which she did for a 3-1 lead that she extended to 5-1 on a deuce-point hold and another break. Alsola then broke back, but Chavatipon closed the set with one more break on a deuce point to send it to a third set. There, Chavatipon captured a second-straight deuce point, this time for a hold in the opening game, and then broke for a 2-0 lead. Alsola put it back on serve with break, which is where it would stay all the way to 5-5 when she broke and held for the win.
In the doubles contest, Peus and Hofflander broke in the opening game, but Sasnouskaya and Zeynalova answered it on a deuce point to start a 4-0 run, the last two of which also came at deuce. After each team held its next serve, Texas used another deuce point to break for the set. In the second, the Longhorns broke in the second game and then held on a deuce point to start with a 3-0 lead. From there, the match stayed on serve to the Texas win despite the Longhorns forcing Brown's serve to deuce twice along the way.
Singles and doubles play will continue on Friday with Sasnoukaya facing Marcela Lopez of Utah at 11:15 a.m. PT/1:15 p.m. CT, and then following with Zeynalova in doubles at 3 p.m. PT/5 p.m. CT against Ellie Eades/Lidia Gonzalez of Kentucky.
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2023 ITA National Fall Championships
Singles Main Draw Round of 16 – Thursday, November 2
4 seed #7 Ayana Akli (SC) def. #99 Malaika Rapolu (UT), 7-6 (6), 7-6 (3)
Singles Consolation Qualifying Round of 16 – Thursday, November 2
#18 Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) def. 5-8 seed #16 Irina Cantos Siemers (OHST), 6-2, 6-4
#47 Jessica Alsola (CAL) def. #74 Charlotte Chavatipon (UT), 6-1, 2-6, 7-5
Doubles Consolation Qualifying Round of 16 – Thursday, November 2
Tanya Sasnouskaya/Sabina Zeynalova (UT) def. Phoebe Peus/Lindsey Hofflander (Brown), 6-2, 6-3
Singles Consolation Quarterfinals – Friday, November 3
#18 Tanya Sasnouskaya (UT) vs. Marcela Lopez (UTAH), 11:15 a.m. PT/1:15 p.m. CT
Doubles Consolation Quarterfinals – Friday, November 3
Tanya Sasnouskaya/Sabina Zeynalova (UT) vs. Ellie Eades/Lidia Gonzalez (UK), 3 p.m. PT/5 p.m. CT
Players Mentioned
