Orange Tennis Posts Strong Showing in Weekend Tournaments

Tuesday, October 3

Los Angeles, Calif.

Syracuse University

Riviera/ITA All-Americans Championships

Photo by: Michael J. Okoniewski

Orange Tennis Posts Strong Showing in Weekend Tournaments

10/9/2017 9:38:00 AM | Tennis

ITA All-Americans Singles Results ITA All-Americans Doubles Results Buffalo Invitational Results

SYRACUSE, N.Y. - The Syracuse women's tennis team wrapped up week two of the fall season during which members of the team competed at both the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships and, more locally, the Buffalo Invitational.

Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez both traveled to Pacific Palisades, California to compete in the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships. The pair was pitted against 62 other athletes in the qualifying singles draw beginning on Tuesday.

Ramirez bowed out in the round of 64 after facing a 6-1, 6-4 defeat to Duke's Meible Chi, the first day of the tournament. Knutson advanced to the round of 16 after two quality wins, including a three-set nail biter against Virginia's Cassie Mercer that resulted in a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory for the Orange. That was the end of the singles portion for 'Cuse as Knutson came up short, 6-0, 7-5, to Texas Tech's Felicity Maltby in the round of 16.

The duo earned a main doubles draw as well, topping three pairings including the No. 5 duo from Ole Miss to make it all the way to the quarterfinals. Knutson and Ramirez battled in the semifinals but could not overcome the pairing of Hamlin and McCarthy from Duke, taking an 8-5 loss on Saturday. The Duke duo went on to win the main draw doubles portion of the tournament. The perfomance by Knutson and Ramirez earned them a spot in 2017 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships in Palm Desert, California beginning Nov. 1.

In Buffalo, Syracuse posted a pair of victories as Libi Mesh and Dina Hegab won the Singles Medium Draw and the Singles "Mild" Draw, respectively. Mesh defeated Buffalo's Emel Abibula 6-4, 6-4 in the championship game while Hegab recorded a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Buffalo's Lolade Ogungbesan.

Anna Shkudun and Maria Tritou each competed in the Singles "Hot" Draw. Shkudun and Tritou both exited the tournament after facing semifinals defeats to Bowling Green's Paula Comella and Buffalo's Chantal Martinez-Blanco, respectively.

Nicole Mitchell advanced through the Singles "Blue Cheese" Draw to the Championship round. Despite a tough battle, Mitchell fell to Buffalo's Anna Savchenko, 6-1, 4-6, 10-8 in the Final.

Syracuse took two doubles pairings to the Buffalo Invitational with Shkudun and Tritou competing in the "Hot" Draw and Hegab and Mitchell competing the "Medium" draw. Shkudun and Tritou made it to the semifinals before falling to the Buffalo duo 6-4. The medium draw pair of Hegab and Mitchell advanced to the quarterfinals but came up short against the Bowling Green set, 6-3, to end Syracuse's day.

The tennis team will take a short break before heading to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania for the ITA Northeast Regionals beginning on Oct. 18.

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