July 19, 2012
Incoming Vanderbilt women’s tennis player Frances Altick has been finding success on the ITA Summer Circuit, where she recently scored a win at Virginia Tech on the Mid-Atlantic Circuit. She followed that up by reaching the round of 32 at the USTA National Clay Court Championships.
Playing at Virginia Tech, Altick opened with a straight-set win (6-1, 6-0) before scoring a hard-fought 6-4, 7-6(3) victory to reach the semifinals. She then cruised to another win in which she only dropped on game, using a 6-0, 6-1 win to reach the finals.
In the finals, Altick defeated the top-seed, Sherry Li, 7-5, 5-7, 10-3, to win the tournament.
Altick followed that up by heading to the USTA National Clay Court Championships in Memphis, Tenn. The Monroe, La., native was seeded 11th and received a bye into the round of 128. There she secured 6-3, 6-3 win over Cassie Mercer before taking another 6-2, 6-2, win over Cassie Pough to reach the round of 32.
Altick’s run came to an end there, when she fell to Katerina Stewart, 6-1, 6-2. Stewart had only played one match in the event, due to an opening-round bye and taking a walkover due to injury in the round of 64.