University of Florida senior Joanna Mather came back in a match that lasted more than three hours against Southern California’s Caitlyn Christian. Overall, it was a tough day of qualifying for the Gators at the 2011 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships on Tuesday at the Rivera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif.
Mather went 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 against Christian. In the first round she defeated LSU’s Whitney Wolf by posting a 6-2, 6-4.
Mather will need to win another round to secure a spot in the 32-player main draw from October 6-9. If so, she will be joining teammates Lauren Embree and Allie Will. Embree and Will earned automatic berths in the main draw as did the doubles teams of Sofie Oyen and Will, and Embree and Mather in the 16-team doubles draw due to their respective preseason rankings.
Mather will face South Carolina’s Diana Stojic in the third round on Wednesday.
Alex Cercone and Olivia Janowicz each won their first round matches, but lost in the second round which ended their singles play for the tournament.
Cercone won her first round match against Utah’s Callie Craig, 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3. Against North Carolina’s Lauren McHale in the second round she lost a tough match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Janowicz was able to pick up a 4-6, 6-3, 6-2 win against Yale’s Elizabeth Epstein but was beaten by Southern California’s Zoe Scandalis 6-2, 6-4.
Oyen lost her first round singles match to Tennessee’s 31st-ranked Brynn Boren, 6-3, 6-0.
In doubles play, the Gators’ Cercone and Caroline Hitimana lost their first round match to Clemson’s Monika Hochanova and Klara Vyskocilova.
2011 Riviera/ITA All-American Championships, Qualifying
Riviera Tennis Club
Pacific Palisades, California
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Qualifying Singles, First Round (Round of 64):
(34) Alex Cercone (UF) def. Callie Craig (Utah), 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-3
(31) Brynn Boren (Tennessee) def. (73) Sofia Oyen (UF), 6-3, 6-0
(26) Joanna Mather (UF) def. (52) Whitney Wolf (LSU), 6-2, 6-4
(37) Olivia Janowicz (UF) def. (92) Elizabeth Epstein (Yale), 4-6, 6-3, 6-2
Qualifying Singles, Second Round (Round of 32):
Lauren McHale (UNC) def. (34) Alex Cercone (UF), 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
(26) Joanna Mather (UF) def. (60) Caitlyn Christian (Souther Calif.), 5-7, 6-4, 6-1
Zoe Scandalis (Southern Calif.) def. (37) Olivia Janowicz (UF), 6-2, 6-4
Qualifying Doubles, First Round (Round of 64):
Monika Kochanova/Klara Vyskocilova(Clemson) def. (26) Alex Cercone/Caroline Hitimana(UF), 8-4
Gator Country reporter Sara Ladwig can be reached at .