Jan. 18, 2009
ATLANTA – Irina Falconi won the Freeman Memorial Tennis Championship singles title and the No. 8 Georgia Tech women’s tennis team combined to win eight matches at the Freeman Memorial and National Collegiate Tennis Classic on the final day of competition Sunday.
Falconi, a freshman from Jupiter, Fla., defeated Sarah Fansler of USC, 6-3, 6-7, 6-3, in the singles final of the UNLV hosted event. This marks her second title at Tech and first individual championship. Falconi teamed with junior Amanda McDowell to win the doubles title at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships this past October.
“It was a great tournament with most of the nation’s top players and teams,” head coach Bryan Shelton said. “Irina showed that when she plays disciplined tennis, she will be extremely successful. I am very proud of this victory. I know this title will motivate her to continue to do the work. “
Also in singles at the Memorial Classic, McDowell finished off Stanford’s Courtney Clayton, 6-2, 6-0 and Viet Ha Ngo earned a 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-5) hard-fought win over Nikol Dimitrova of UNLV.
At the National Collegiate Tennis Classic, Christy Striplin and Noelle Hickey picked up a pair of doubles wins. The Yellow Jacket duo defeated Nadina Secerbegovic and Kasia Siwosz of Baylor, 8-4. Later the pair powered past UCLA’s Maya Johansson and Stephanie Wetmore, 8-4.
In singles play, Striplin, Hillary Davis and Lynn Blau all earned victories on the final day of competition at the Palm Springs, Calif., tournament.
Georgia Tech will open its dual match season against Auburn on Wed., Jan. 28 at the Bill Moore Tennis Center beginning at 3 p.m.
– RamblinWreck.com –
Sunday’s Georgia Tech Memorial Classic Results
Singles
F: (5) Irina Falconi (GT) def. Sarah Fansler (USC) 6-3, 6-7, 6-3
Additional Singles Matches
(2) Amanda McDowell (GT) def. Courtney Clayton (STAN) 6-2, 6-0
Viet Ha Ngo (GT) def. Nikol Dimitrova (UNLV) 7-5, 2-6, 1-0 (10-5)
Laura Pola (FS) def. Sasha Krupina (GT) 6-2, 6-2
Doubles
SF: (1) Renata Kucerkova/Anastasia Petukhova (FS) def. (3) Amanda McDowell/Irina Falconi (GT) 8-5
Additional Doubles Matches
Nina Pantic/Anna Victoria Lind (UCLA) def. Sasha Krupina/Viet Ha Ngo (GT) 9-8
Sunday’s Georgia Tech National Collegiate Results
Singles
Christy Striplin (GT) def. Amanda Fink (USC) 6-2, 6-3
Hillary Davis (GT) def. Siobhan Cavan (OR) 6-2, 6-2
Lynn Blau (GT) def. Ana Olivos (OR) 4-6, 1-0 ret.
Doubles
Christy Striplin/Noelle Hickey (GT) def. Nadina Secerbegovic/Kasia Siwosz (Bay) 8-4
Christy Stripling/Noelle Hickey (GT) def. Maya Johansson/Stephanie Wetmore (UCLA) 8-4
Maya Johansson/Stephanie Wetmore (UCLA) def. Hillary Davis/Lynn Blau (GT) 8-2
