SAN DIEGO, Calif. – LSU women’s tennis freshman Kinaa Graham was defeated in the first round of singles by No. 7 Ayana Akli of South Carolina at the ITA National Fall Championship on Wednesday. The Gamecock defeated the Tiger by a score of 6-3, 6-2 inside the Barnes Tennis Center.
Singles – Round of 32
Graham, the runner-up at the 2023 ITA Southern Regional, faced Akli, who qualified with a semi-finalist finish at the 2023 ITA All-American Championships. The two opened the first set by trading games the first two games between each other, but the graduate student from South Carolina pulled ahead and went on to win the first set 6-3. After each earning a game in the second set, Akli took the lead and didn’t look back as she won 6-2 and booked her spot in the second round of the main draw.
Up Next
Graham will play in the first round of the consolation raw against Maryland’s Selma Cadar at 1:15 p.m. CT on Thursday.
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ITA National Fall Championships
Nov. 1 – Day 1
San Diego, Calif. (Barnes Tennis Center)
Singles – Round of 32
No. 7 Ayana Akli (USC) def. Kinaa Graham (LSU), 6-3, 6-2
SCHEDULE OF PLAY
ITA National Fall Championships
Nov. 2 – Day 2
San Diego, Calif. (Barnes Tennis Center)
ALL TIMES CENTRAL
Consolation Round of 16
Kinaa Graham (LSU) vs. Selma Cadar (MARY), 1:15