Post by Admin on Sept 16, 2024 7:02:40 GMT -5
CLEMSON, S.C.– The Clemson Women’s Tennis completed their first Fall season tournament at the Debbie Southern Furman Fall Classic. Multiple Tigers saw action for the first time and fared well during the tournament.
The competition, typically hosted at Furman, saw split action between the Furman campus and Clemson University as weather forced the competition to be played in the two locations. Clemson hosted Auburn, Georgia, Kentucky, NC State, and Texas Tech on Friday but resumed normal play at Furman on Saturday and Sunday.
“Our first tournament was a great learning experience for many players, especially our nine new players and six freshmen,” Head coach Boomer Saia said. “It was a fantastic opportunity to expose them to high-level competition. While there are areas for improvement, both for the players and the staff, I saw some impressive performances out there. Artemis, in particular, had a terrific flight, and her resilience in battling hard yesterday and today was truly inspiring.”
Friday Competition:
On Friday, Candela Yecora started us off with a dominant 6-1, 6-1 win over Mississippi States Athina Pitta. This marked the first win in her collegiate career in singles and her first win as a Tiger. No. 58 Ria Bhakta similarly shined on the day, winning her first match as a Tiger after transferring from Michigan State University. Bhakta took the match against Kentucky’s Zoe Hammond, 6-1, 6-4.
Freshman standout Artemis Aslanisvili claimed her first collegiate win against Ellie Eades from Kentucky in an easy 6-2, 6-4 match. Freshman Gaia Parravicini similarly prevailed on the day after splitting her first two sets 6-4, 3-6, against Julie Bedard from Auburn. Parravicini came back and claimed the match in the last set, winning 6-2.
Senior leader and sole returner from the 2023-24 season, Sophia Hatton, claimed her first win of the season, taking down Kate Dmitrichenko from Texas Tech, 6-2, 7-6 (3).
Rounding out the first day, Junior Romana Cisovska won her first match as a Tiger after transferring from Oklahoma and defeating Jermin Sherif from Texas Tech, 7-5, 6-3.
Saturday Competition:
On Saturday, Aslanisvili continued her dominance in her singles flight. In a battle during the first set, Aslanisvili came out on top winning 7-6 (1). To finish out the match she claimed the second set 6-0 and defeated in-state rival, Olympie Lancelot from South Carolina.
Illustrating a gutsy win, Cisovska took down Sankavi Gownder from Wake Forest. Cisovska claimed the first set 6-3 and lost the second set, 4-6. Pushing through, she claimed the match, winning the last set 6-4.
Yecora additionally shined on the day, easily defeating Ginger Foster from Georgia Tech, 6-0, 6-1.
In doubles, Annabelle Davis and Yecora defeated Kylie Bilchev and Taly Licht from Georgia Tech, 6-2. Cisovska and Gaia Parravicini won by default over Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn from Georgia.
Sunday Competition:
On the last day of competition, Aslanisvili quickly defeated Texas Tech’s Hailey Murphy, 6-1, 6-1. With the win over Murphy, Aslanisvili claimed the Flight Eight singles championship. This marks Aslanisvili’s first win in fall collegiate competition and as a Tiger.
Hatton finished her day with a hard-fought win over Georgia’s Aysegul Mert. In the first set, the duo battled to 6-7, with Mert taking the set and winning the tiebreaker, 6-8. Not backing down, Hatton won the last two sets 6-3, 6-3, to secure the win. Bhakta claimed another Tiger victory, defeating Auburn’s Alice Battestim 6-2, 7-5.
Saia said on the level of competitiveness, “I also saw a lot of competitiveness in others, especially as four athletes are leaving with a winning record from one of the best tournaments in the country. This signifies a feather in our cap and something we can be proud of moving forward.” He continued, “Looking ahead to team competition in the spring, there are a few steps we need to take in doubles to play our best tennis, and I am sure that we will get there with the right mindset.”
Next up, Amelie Smejkalova will attend the San Rafael W 35 tournament in San Rafael, Calif. The tournament will take place at the Marin Tennis Club from Monday, September 16, to Sunday, September 22.
