Sept. 27, 2002
TALLAHASSEE – The Georgia Tech women’s tennis team got its 2002-03 season off to an impressive start, by recording a perfect 9-0 record on the first day of play at the Lady Seminole Fall Classic. The three-day tournament is being contested at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center on the campus of Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla.
The Yellow Jackets opened the day in singles play with matches in three different singles draws. Senior Jaime Wong and sophomore Catherine Gunn got Tech started in the Singles A Draw. Wong easily handled South Florida’s Fabiana Taverna in straight sets by an impressive 6-3, 6-0 score, while Gunn downed Kentucky’s Jill Buckley in straight sets, hanging on in the second for a 6-2, 7-6 victory. Wong will face Florida International’s Lei Ly in the quarters on Saturday, while Gunn will square off with Florida State’s Mihaela Moldovan.
In the Singles B Draw, senior Mysti Morris won her first match of the event, as she routed USF’s Talia Romero by scores of 6-0, 6-1. Morris will face Kentucky’s Kacie Anson in the quarterfinals on Saturday. The final two Tech singles players in the tournament included newcomers Annelies Schenk and Maria Nieto, both of who were victorious on Friday. Schenk picked up a pair of wins on the day, defeating Florida A&M’s Melissa Williams in straight sets in the first round by a 6-4, 6-2 count, before downing Jacksonville’s Tamara Kaftalovick by an impressive 6-1, 6-0 score. She will next face Florida State’s Natalie Tirapelli in the semifinals on Saturday. Nieto won her only match of the day, disposing of FAMU’s Monet Duncan in straight sets by a 6-0, 6-1 score. Nieto will face FAMU’s Asha Jaja in the semis on Saturday.
Tech’s perfect day continued in doubles, as Mysti Morris and Jaime Wong defeated Florida State’s Dumitrescu and Tirapelli by an 8-1 score, setting up a match-up with Kentucky’s Roels and Whitten on Saturday in the semifinals. In the Doubles B Draw, Maria Nieto and Catherine Gunn defeated South Florida’s Larson and Pandre by an 8-4 score, before downing FSU’s Tantee and Cordell in the third round by a matching 8-4 count.
The Lady Seminole Fall Classic will continue on Saturday with the second day of singles and doubles competition and will conclude on Sunday with the finals of each draw. Full tournament results are available at www.seminoles.com.
GEORGIA TECH DAY ONE RESULTSSINGLESCatherine Gunn (GT) d. Jill Buckley (UK), 6-2, 7-6Jaime Wong (GT) d. Fabiana Taverna (USF), 6-3, 6-0Mysti Morris (GT) d. Talia Romero (USF), 6-0, 6-1Annelies Schenk (GT) d. Melissa Williams (FAMU), 6-4, 6-2Annelies Schenk (GT) d. Tamara Kaftalovick (JAX), 6-1, 6-0Maria Nieto (GT) d. Monet Duncan (FAMU), 6-0, 6-1
DOUBLES Morris/Wong (GT) d. Dumitrescu/Tirapelli (FSU), 8-1 Nieto/Gunn (GT) d. Larson/Pandre (USF), 8-4 Nieto/Gunn (GT) d. Tantee/Cordell (FSU), 8-4
