SUMTER, S.C. – The Carson-Newman women's tennis team see the first day of action conclude at the International Tennis Association Southeast Regional qualifiers in Sumter, South Carolina.
Sophomore Violetta Khisamova (Yaroslavl, Russia) was in the round of 132 against Marta Rozados. Khisamova advanced to the round of 64 with a 6-2, 6-4 victory as she advances to play 16th-seeded Florencia Massardo in the round of 64. Khisamova kept her momentum rolling as she upset the 16th-seeded Massardo and advanced to the round of 32 by a score of 7-5, 6-4. The Russia native will now face 9th-seeded Emma Bentz on Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
Senior Ana Carla Resende (Minas Gerais, Brazil) was placed as a 3rd-seeded player in the tournament, allowing her to bypass the round of 132 and matching up her against Frankee Hendricks in the round of 64 Friday.
Resende came out strong in her first action of the fall for C-N as she advanced into the round of 32 with a 6-0, 6-1 decision over Hendricks. The junior will now face Hanna Axelsson in the round of 32 after she was able to upset 16th-seeded Catherine Blouin. First serve between Axelsson and Resende in the round of 32 is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. Saturday afternoon.
Sophomore Julia Speiser saw a round of 132 matchup against Luciana Galves as Galves was the winner with a score of 6-0, 6-1. Speiser moves into the consolation bracket as she will see singles action again on Saturday at 4:00 p.m. from the Palmetto Tennis Center.
Fellow sophomore Summer Reeves (Maidstone, Kent, England) faced Julie Martincova in the round of 132. It was Reeves taking the 6-3, 6-2 victory as she advanced to the round of 64 against 9th-seeded Anna Markvartova. Markvartova proved her ranking in the tournament as she battled for every point against Reeves, eventually taking the 6-1, 4-6, 6-1 result and claiming a spot in Saturday's round of 32.
For Reeves, she sees a matchup with Paulina Loretz on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. as part of the consolation bracket for the tournament.
Graduate student Hannah Price (Knoxville, Tenn.) bypassed the round of 132 as she was placed as a 16th-seeded player. In the round of 64, she would face Ishita Singh who won her first-round matchup 6-2, 6-7 (3), 6-1 over Gabriel Karatantcheva. Unfortunately for Price, Singh was able to stay hot as she upset the Knoxville native, 6-2, 1-6, 6-2 and moved ahead to the round of 32 Saturday.
Price now moves into the consolation bracket of the tournament as she will face Lauren Castillon on Saturday at 5:30 p.m.
Junior Natasha Forrest (Jersey, United Kingdom) would see a round of 132 matchup against Rupal Kharb, winning 6-4, 6-2. The junior moved onto to play Johanna Lippert in the round of 64 Friday. In the round of 64, the 16th-seeded Lippert came away as the winner after defeating Forrest 6-3, 6-2.
Forrest will now face Bailee Wilson in the consolation bracket as the two square off Saturday at 4:00 p.m.
The Eagles ended their first day of action with doubles action. Summer Reeves and Julia Speiser were paired up together as they faced Heed and Krieg in the first round Friday night. Reeves and Speiser came away winners by a score of 8-3. The duo now face the 9th-seeded pairing of Mikael and Wise Saturday morning at 8 a.m.
Meanwhile, the pairing of Natasha Forrest and Hannah Price were able to bypass playing in the first round as they were selected as the 9th-seeded doubles team for the tournament. They will take to the courts together on Saturday morning as they face the winner of Freke/Wilson and Jipescu/Ascarrunz at 8:00 a.m.
The new Eagles pairing of Ana Carla Resende and freshman Maria Ulloa (Cuba) were slated to make their fall debut together against Wahlberg and Whelan Friday night. In their first match, Resende and Ulloa won 9-7 as they advance to play Ciaccia and Gunfaus on Saturday at 9:30 a.m.
The Eagles will be back in action for day two at the ITA Southeast Regional Qualifiers tomorrow, September 25, as action resumes from the Palmetto Tennis Center in Sumter, South Carolina.
Be sure to keep up with the C-N women's tennis team all season long across Carson-Newman's social media platforms and on cneagles.com
