University of Washington
Maryland
Huskies Tame Terps In NCAA Opener
May 13, 2011 | Women's Tennis
May 13, 2011
NCAA CHAMPIONSHIPS • FIRST & SECOND ROUNDS
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. • HOSTED BY NORTH CAROLINA • CONE-KENFIELD TENNIS CENTER
Tournament Central
FRIDAY, MAY 13 - FIRST ROUND
Washington (13-10) def. Maryland (13-10), 4-0
(4) North Carolina (23-5) vs. E. Tennessee St (15-6) • 10:00 a.m. PT
SATURDAY, MAY 14 - SECOND ROUND
Washingon vs. Winner of Match 2 • 8:00 a.m. PT
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - Washington is moving on in the NCAA Championships thanks to an impressive total team effort today as the Huskies swept 33rd-ranked Maryland, 4-0, in the first round at North Carolina's Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center. Junior Samantha Smith won six straight games to rally from a 0-3 third set hole to clinch the victory, and senior Vanja Radunovic also provided a major lift with a win at the six spot.
The Huskies (13-10) will now advance to face either fourth-seeded North Carolina or East Tennessee State on Saturday at 8 a.m. Pacific time, with the winner of that match moving on to the round of 16 next week.
This is the third year in a row that the Huskies have won their NCAA opener, and it marks the eighth first round win for UW in its last nine trips.
"I'm extremely thrilled to get this win today," said sixth-year head coach Jill Hultquist. "Maryland was a talented team and put up a great fight. Looking ahead to tomorrow if we face North Carolina we know we'll have to bring our `A' games."
The Huskies held a 1-0 lead after taking the top two doubles matches, and proceeded to win four of the six first sets in singles. Senior Venise Chan, ranked 16th nationally, was first to back up her first set win, as she closed out Ana Belzunce, 6-0, 6-3 at No. 2 singles for her 98th career victory.
Senior Vanja Radunovic then provided perhaps the point of the day for the Dawgs, as she earned just her second dual win all season, defeating Jordan Hansbrough, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 6 singles. That gave UW a 3-0 lead with every remaining match looking like it could go either way.
"Vanja's win was really big for us, and she is thrilled that she was able to help the team today," Hultquist said.
Junior Samantha Smith has played her best tennis in NCAA play during her career, and she came through big again today. After dropping the first set to Welma Luus, 2-6, Smith came back with a 6-1 second set win. The momentum swung back to Luus, who took a 3-0 lead in the second set, but then Smith rallied again and reeled off six games in a row to clinch with a 6-3 third set win.
"In the first set, the girl Sam was playing was just on fire and Sam's balls were landing a little short, but Sam dug in her heels like she can do and made the girl play some more balls and took her out of her rhythm," said Hultquist. "She fell behind really fast in the third set but stayed with it and got on a roll."
With the match decided, the remaining three singles matches were abandoned. One casualty was the No. 1 singles match, where fourth-ranked junior Denise Dy was locked in a close one with 30th-ranked Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar. Dy lost the first set, 2-6, but won the second, 6-4, and was up 3-2 in the third set. Senior Aleksandra Krsljanin was about to start a third set at fourth singles and junior Adrijana Pavlovic had won the first set, 6-3, over Julia Huschke but was down 1-5 in the second.
Though Dy and Chan will be playing in the NCAA Doubles Championship together later this month, as usual they were split up for the doubles point today. Dy and Krsljanin, who together have earned themselves a No. 63 ranking, improved to 7-1 on the year with an 8-4 win over Stancu and Huschke at No. 2 doubles. Chan and Smith then came through with the clinching point at No. 1, holding off Luus and Bulzunce, 8-6, to give the Huskies the early 1-0 edge.
Washington Women's Tennis
2011 NCAA Championships - First Round
May 13, 2011 - Chapel Hill, N.C.
Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center
No. 28 Washington 4, No. 33 Maryland 0
Doubles
1) Chan/Smith (UW) def. Luus/Belzunce (MD), 8-6
2) (63) Dy/Krsljanin (UW) def. Stancu/Huschke (MD), 8-4
3) Hansbrough/Sanchez-Quintanar (MD) def. Radunovic/Pavlovic (UW), 8-0
Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
Singles
1) (4) Denise Dy (UW) vs. (30) Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar (MD), 2-6, 6-4, 3-2, DNF
2) (16) Venise Chan (UW) def. Ana Belzunce (MD), 6-0, 6-3
3) Samantha Smith (UW) def. Welma Luus (MD), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
4) Aleksandra Krsljanin (UW) vs. Cristina Stancu (MD), 6-4, 4-6, DNF
5) Adrijana Pavlovic (UW) vs. Julia Huschke (MD), 6-3, 1-5, DNF
6) Vanja Radunovic (UW) def. Jordan Hansbrough (MD), 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 2, 6, 3
Players Mentioned
