COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Lady Tigers experienced a successful second day of the Wilson-ITA Southwest Regionals, advancing both singles competitors in the qualifying draw to the main draw and sending two more into the main draw’s round of 32.
“We played a lot better today,” head coach Tony Minnis said. “We played across the board with a lot more intensity. We lost a lot of tough matches, but in general we played the way you need to in order to win a tennis match.”
Both Daysi Espinal and Anastasiya Dubova won the morning match in the qualifying draw to be two of only eight from originally 64 competitors to make it into the main draw. That marked the second straight year LSU accomplished this, as Camila Caliari and Staten Spencer advanced to the main draw last season from the qualifying bracket.
However, neither could advance beyond that point. Dubova fell to the No. 62-ranked player in the country in Texas’ Kendra Strohm, 6-4, 6-2. Espinal took her match to three sets, but fell to her Longhorn opponent, Courtney Zauft, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
“They both played with a lot of heart,” Minnis commented on Dubova and Espinal. “I think it says a lot about them that they were able to get all the way through qualifying and then play as well as they did in the main draw despite tough losses.”
Both Tiffany Tucker and Marina Chiarelli earned wins in the main draw of singles. Tucker’s win puts her up against Breda Kovac of Southeastern in the next round.
Chiarelli’s win also takes her to the round of 32, where she will face Baylor’s No. 7-ranked Zuzana Zemenova, the defending NCAA singles national champion.
No. 60-ranked Lauren Seaman and Tucker rebounded from a Friday doubles loss with a win Saturday over Marisa Druss and Sewa Iwinski of Texas A&M, 9-8. LSU’s two other doubles teams won their matches by default because of injuries to their opponents.
Regional play resumes Sunday at 8:30 a.m. for both main draw and consolation singles and doubles competitors.
WILSON-ITA SOUTHWEST REGIONALS — day two results
Singles
Qualifying
Round of 16
Daysi Espinal (LSU) Katherine Harris (UNT) 6-4, 6-0
Anastasiya Dubova (LSU) Tammy Day (ULL) 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
Main Draw
Round of 64
Marina Chiarelli (LSU) def. Celine Vanweydeveld (ULL) 6-1, 6-2
Jordan Ale (TAMU) def. Camila Caliari (LSU) 6-3, 6-0
Irina Sotnikova (SHSU) def. Mykala Hedberg (LSU) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
Kelly Baritot (Texas) def. Lauren Seaman (LSU) 7-5, 6-1
Tiffany Tucker (LSU) def. Monica Peciulionyte (UTA) 5-7, 7-5, 6-3
Courtney Zauft (Texas) def. Daysi Espinal (LSU) 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
#62 Kendra Strohm (Texas) def. Anastasiya Dubova (LSU) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles
Main Draw
Camila Caliari/Anastasiya Dubova (LSU) Jenny Kuehn/Erika Valdes (TU) by default
Consolation
#60 Lauren Seaman/Tiffany Tucker (LSU) def. Marisa Druss/Sewa Iwinski (TAMU) 9-8
Marina Chiarelli/Mykala Hedberg (LSU) def. Christine Dao/Melissa Kavanaugh Patel (Rice) by default