NASHVILLE, TENN. – Vanderbilt’s women’s tennis team had a successful start to the June Stewart Invitational Friday inside the Currey Tennis Center.
Experimenting with a simultaneous format that featured three singles matches and two doubles matches taking place at once, the Commodores compiled a 5-2 singles mark and 2-2 doubles record in matchups with opponents from Arizona State, Princeton and Purdue.
“Thought it was really good day”, said head coach Geoff Macdonald. “We had a scary moment with Astra (Sharma) having a really bad body cramp at the end of the day, but she’s going to be fine. We are having some very difficult weather, so we slid indoors and got a lot of good match pay in. We lost a few matches, but overall I thought everyone came through with really good stuff. Just a solid first day at the June Stewart Invitational, and we’re all looking forward to tomorrow.”
Inclement weather forced play inside, where teams competed with a format that had three teams competing at all times. There were a total of four rounds of competition, featuring two doubles and three singles matches. In each round, one team played singles and doubles, while two others competed in singles or doubles only.
The format is one of many the NCAA tennis rules committee is experimenting with, as it continues to examine ways to tweak how matches are played.
Vanderbilt’s first action of the day came in the second match of the day with singles against Princeton and doubles vs. Purdue. The Commodores swept the singles matches with Sydney Campbell, Courtney Colton and Ellie Yates posting wins. In doubles, VU’s duo of Astra Sharma and Ashleigh Antal topped Krisztina Kapitany and Natalia Davila of Purdue, 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (4). Meanwhile, VU’s do of Marie Casares and Payton Robinette was defeated.
In the third round of matches, Vanderbilt competed in singles with Purdue, winning two of three. Casares and Astra Sharma earned wins, while Ashleigh Antal was defeated in three sets.
VU’s day concluded in doubles play against Princeton. The Commodores got a win from Colton and Campbell, who defeated Amanda Muilawan and Joan Cannon, 6-2, 7-6 (4).
Yates and Robinette were defeated by Katie Goepel and Sara Goodwin, 6-2, 6-9.
Because of a lack of numbers for Princeton, Vanderbilt’s Astra Sharma competed in singles, against Arizona State’s Leighann Sahagun, losing 6-2, 3-6, 6-4.
Saturday’s action will begin at 9:00 a.m. for the second day of the three-day tournament, the Commodores will take the courts no earlier than 11 a.m.
Results
SinglesMarie Casares (Vanderbilt) def. Nicole Robinson (Purdue) 6-4, 6-4
Krisztina Kapitany (Purdue) def. Ashleigh Antal (Vanderbilt) 2-6, 7-5, 6-3
Astra Sharma (Vanderbilt) def. Natalia Davila (Purdue) 6-3, 6-1
Sydney Campbell (Vanderbilt) def. Amanda Muilawan (Princeton) 6-2, 7-6 (5)
Courtney Colton (Vanderbilt) def. Caroline Joyce (Princeton) 6-2, 6-2
Ellie Yates (Vanderbilt) def. Katie Goepel (Princeton) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Desirae Krawczyk (Arizona State) def. Deborah Suarez (Purdue); 6-4, 6-2
Andjela Djokovic (Purdue) def. Stephanie Vlad (Arizona State); 6-4, 7-6(0)
Daniela Vidal (Purdue) def. Kassidy Jump (Arizona State); 3-6, 6-4, 7-5
Emily Hahn (Princeton) def. Alexandra Osborne (Arizona State) 6-1, 6-2
Caroline Joyce (Princeton) def. Gussie O’Sullivan (Arizona State) 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Leighann Sahagun (Arizona State) def. Astra Sharma (Vanderbilt) 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Doubles
Kassidy Jump/Desirae Krawczyk (Arizona State) def. Daniela Vidal/Lynda Xepoleas (Purdue) 6-0, 6-2
Ebony Panoho/Stephanie Vlad (Arizona State) def. Deborah Suarez/Andjela Djokovic (Purdue) 6-3, 6-2
Courtney Colton/Sydney Campbell (Vanderbilt) def. Amanda Muilawan/Joan Cannon (Princeton) 6-2, 7-6(4)
Katie Goepel/Sara Goodwin (Princeton) def. Ellie Yates/Payton Robinette (Vanderbilt) 6-2, 6-0
Astra Sharma/Ashleigh Antal (Vanderbilt) def. Krisztina Kapitany/Natalia Davila (Purdue) 4-6, 6-2, 1-0 (4)
Lynda Xepoleas/Nicole Robinson (Purdue) def. Marie Casares/Payton Robinette (Vanderbilt) 6-4, 7-5
Panoho/O’Sullivan (Arizona State) def. Princeton Cannon/Goodwin (Princeton); 6-3, 6-1
Muliawan/Hahn (Princeton) def. Sahagun/Osborne (Arizona State); 6-4, 6-2
