COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Four members of the LSU women’s tennis team look to end the fall season on a positive note this weekend as play begins Friday morning in the 2000 ITA Regional Tournament being held in College Station, Texas.
“This tournament is a great chance for our girls to pick up some big wins before the fall season ends,” said LSU head coach Tony Minnis. “We’ve had a decent fall season so far, but it would definitely boost the team’s morale if we could come away with some huge victories this weekend.”
The Lady Tigers competing in the main singles draw of the tournament are sophomore Lauren Haddix, juniors Tami Botts and Kelly Craycraft, as well as senior Fernanda Tsucamoto.
Tsucamoto is the 17th-seeded player in the 128-person draw and will face Texas’ Ziva Grasic in the opening round of the event. Tsucamoto is currenty in the midst of a three-match winning streak and was victorious in the consolation final of the Tulane Invitational Tournament last weekend.
The ITA Regional Tournament consists of the top players from Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas. Last season, the Lady Tigers’ Bruna Colosio won the event and qualified for the 1999 Rolex National Indoor Championships.
This season, LSU’s Botts, Haddix, Craycraft, and Tsucamoto look to qualify for the 2000 Rolex National Indoor Championships by reaching the finals of the singles tournament or by winning the doubles championship.
In the opening round of the main singles draw, Haddix opens against Southern Methodist’s Sara Love Swaney, Botts will face Rice’s Natalie Briaud, and Craycraft will take on UT-San Antonio’s Svenja Fuhrig. Craycraft is looking to extend a two-match winning streak.
The Lady Tigers’ doubles teams of Haddix/Tsucamoto and Botts/Craycraft begin their quests for the doubles championship trophy Friday afternoon.
Haddix/Tsucamoto face UTEP’s ninth-seeded duo comprised of Ana Brnas and Jana Perkova, while Botts/Craycraft look to tame Arkansas State’s Megan McCoy and Saumya Rana.
The Lady Tigers begin play in the 2000 ITA Regional Tournament on Friday, Nov. 3, in College Station, Texas, at the A&M Varsity Tennis Center.