PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. – A trio of Florida women’s tennis players battled into the final round of the qualifying draw bowing out of the singles competition at the Riviera/ITA Women’s All American Championships at the Riviera Country Club.
Sophomore Caroline Hitimana and freshmen Sofie Oyen and Alex Cercone proved to be tough competition for their opponents who advanced into the main draw.
Cercone, of Seminole, Fla., won three matches in the pre-qualifying event and two in the qualifying event before falling to No. 21-ranked Mallory Burdette of NCAA women’s champion Stanford, 6-4, 7-6 (6).
Belgium’s Oyen, who earned “lucky loser” status from the pre-qualifying event that allowed her to move into the qualifying event, ended up going 2-1, the loss coming against North Carolina State’s Sanaa Bhambri, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2.
Hitimana, who also hails from Belgium, also went 2-1 before bowing to No. 22-ranked Marta Lesniak of Southern Methodist, 6-3, 6-4.
Sophomore Allie Will, ranked No. 5 nationally and in the main draw, dropped a three-set match to No. 20 Kristi Boxx of Mississippi, 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
Florida’s two doubles teams in the main draw both lost, falling into the consolation draw. Sophomore Allie Will and Oyen fell to the fifth-ranked doubles team of Josipa Bek and Keri Wong of Clemson, 8-6. Florida’s sixth-ranked team of Lauren Embree and Joanna Mather dropped an 8-5 decision to the No. 26 team of Anouk Tigu and Claudine Paulson of Arkansas.
RIVIERA/ITA WOMEN’S ALL AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
Riviera Country Club / Pacific Palisades, Calif. /Thursday, October 07, 2010
SINGLES
Third round (qualifying)
Sanaa Bhambri (North Carolina State) def. Sofie Oyen (Florida), 6-1, 6-2; (22) Marta Lesniak (Southern Methodist) def. (77) Caroline Hitimana (Florida), 6-3, 6-4; (21) Mallory Burdette (Stanford) def. Alex Cercone (Florida), 6-4, 7-6 (6).
First round (main draw)
(20) Kristi Boxx (Mississippi) def. (5) Allie Will (Florida), 4-6, 6-4, 7-5.
DOUBLES
First round (main draw)
(26) Anouk Tigu/Claudine Paulson (Arkansas) def. (6) Lauren Embree/Joanna Mather (Florida), 8-5; (5) Josipa Bek/Keri Wong (Clemson) def. (18) Sofie Oyen/Allie Will (Florida), 8-6.