Sophia Webster clinches berth into singles qualifying draw after flawless Sunday at All-Americans
CARY, N.C. — Junior Sophia Webster is off to a 3-0 start to the fall season, securing two singles wins on Sunday at the ITA All-American Championships from Cary Tennis Park to advance into the qualifying draw.
Webster’s first match of the day came against Northwestern’s Neena Feldman. After a back-and-forth first set, Webster locked down the remainder of the contest to claim a 7-5, 6-2 victory over her Wildcat counterpart. The result put the junior up against NC State’s Roisin Gilheany for a spot in the next round.
Webster fell behind late in the opening frame with Gilheany, who took a 6-5 advantage. With her back against the wall early, Webster forced a first-set tiebreak and ultimately claimed the set 7-6 (2). Both players stayed nearly inseperable throughout the next set. But when she needed points the most, Webster delivered. The Commodore finished out the second set 6-4 to seal the match. The win marks the first time Webster has made her way into the singles qualifying draw at the All-American Championships.
Sophomore Mia Yamakita was the other Commodore vying for a spot in the qualifying bracket, facing Penn’s Esha Velaga in the opening match of the day. The contest went the distance, and despite a comeback effort from Yamakita after trailing 4-1 in the third set, her rally was not enough. Yamakita’s time in Cary came to a close with a 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 defeat to Velaga.
In the consolation bracket, sophomore Erin Pearce and freshman Nicole Weng each picked up singles victories before rounding out their tournament with a doubles win later in the day. Pearce knocked off Michaela Laki of Miami 6-3, 7-6 (4), and Weng netted her first collegiate match win, 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4, over Nelly Knezkova. The pair then followed with a doubles defeat of Harvard’s Natalie Block and Natash Rajaram 6-4, 6-4.
Webster looks to continue her run in the opening round of qualifying singles tomorrow; matchups and times have yet to be determined by the ITA. Live streaming of the ITA All-American Championships will be available online. Fans can find tournament details and other ITA-related news on the ITA All-American Championships website page.
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Prequalifying (Day 2) Results:
SINGLES
Velaga [Penn] def. Yamakita [Vanderbilt] 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
Webster [Vanderbilt] def. Feldman [Northwestern] 7-5, 6-2
(Cons.) Pearce [Vanderbilt] def. Laki [Miami] 6-3, 7-6 (4)
(Cons.) Weng [Vanderbilt] def. Knezkova [Syracuse] 7-6 (5), 1-6, 6-4
Webster [Vanderbilt] def. Gilheany [NC State] 7-6 (2), 6-4
DOUBLES
(Cons.) Pearce/Weng [Vanderbilt] def. Block/Rajaram [Harvard] 6-4, 6-4
