TEMPLETON, Calif. – Freshman Cadence Brace performed well in her first pro tournament representing LSU, playing seven total matches in singles and doubles. The Toronto native concluded play in the singles semifinal round on Saturday at the USTA 60k Pro Circuit at the Templeton Tennis Ranch.
Singles Bracket
Brace entered singles play with a first-round bye in the qualifying draw. In her opening match, Brace faced Maya Iyengar in the following round. In the first set, Brace won 6-3. Brace initially took a 2-0 lead in the second set, but Iyengar scored three points in a row, making the score 3-2 in her favor. The match was tied 5-5, but Brace managed to pull ahead and win 7-5, securing the victory in straight sets.
After winning the second round, Brace advanced to the main draw of the competition. Her next match was against India Houghton. In the first set, Houghton initially led by two points, but Brace took the lead and ultimately won the set 6-4. Brace was behind 2-5 in the second set but made a comeback, winning 7-6(3) and taking the match in straight sets.
Brace faced a tough challenge in the next round against WTA No. 170 Kayla Day. They met at the W100 Granby in July 2023, where Day won 6-2, 6-4. Brace started strong, winning the first four games of the first set. Although she lost the next two games, she took the first set 6-3. Brace won the first three games in the second set, but Day fought back, winning four games in a row to take the set 6-4. Day took a 2-0 advantage in the final set, but Brace responded, tying the score at 2-2. Despite falling behind 2-4, Brace won four consecutive games, ultimately winning the set 6-4.
In the quarterfinals, Brace played against Himeno Sakatsume. The first set was close, with Cadence and Sakatsume evenly matched. The set remained evenly matched until reaching a 5-5 tie, after which Sakatsume clinched the set with a 7-5 victory. In the second set, Cadence and her opponent remained competitive. The score was tied at 1-1, then Cadence took a 2-1 lead. The score went back and forth, with Cadence leading 4-2. Sakatsume would catch up in a 4-4 tie until Cadence finally won the tiebreaker set 7-6(4). Cadence took an early lead in the final set at 1-0. The opponent then took the lead at 2-1. Cadence tied the score at 2-2 and then steadily pulled ahead, taking four straight games and winning the set 6-2.
In her next test, Brace faced a renowned opponent in WTA No. 74, Renata Zarazua, in the semifinals. Brace started strong by taking the first game. However, Zarazua quickly turned the tables, winning six consecutive games and leaving Brace to lose the opening set 1-6. The second set saw Zarazua continue performing, as she won the second set, eliminating the freshman 0-6.
Doubles Bracket
Competing in the doubles bracket, Brace teamed with LSU Women’s Tennis Alumni Paris Corley. A 2021 graduate, the standout All-American hoped to find success with the freshman. In the first round, the pair faced Victoria Hu and Veronika Miroshnichenko. Brace and Corley were trailing 2-5 in the opening set before the pair kickstarted a rally to cut into the deficit, taking three straight games to knot a 5-5 tie. However, Hu and Miroshnichenko pulled away to take the first set 7-5. In the second set, after a 1-1 draw, Brace and Corley scored four consecutive points before eventually putting the game away and winning the second set 6-2. In the 10-point tiebreaker set, it was a back-and-forth contest with four lead changes before Brace and Corley, with the score at 11-11, secured the victory by securing the final two scores, coming out victorious in the tiebreaker set 13-11.
Advancing to the quarterfinals in the doubles bracket, Brace and Corley matched up against Maria Kononova and Maria Kozyreva. Kononova and Kozyreva took the first game in the opening set until Brace and Corley. The opponents would win four straight games, leaving the LSU pair trailing 1-5. Brace and Corley would earn the next point but ultimately lost the first set 2-6. The home team would start the second set tied 1-1, with their opponents then leaving them trailing 1-4. Brace and Corley would take the next two games. However, their opponents would win the final two to take the set 3-6.
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