Oct. 19, 2013
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — South Carolina women’s tennis freshman Brigit Folland advanced to the quarterfinals of the USTA/ITA Carolina Regional Championships on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C.
Folland won easily in her round of 32 match against Samantha Asch of Wake Forest, taking the first set 6-1 before leading 1-0 in the second when Asch withdrew because of an injury. In her round of 16 match-up, Folland scored the biggest win of her young career by dispatching No. 42-ranked Ester Goldfeld of Duke in straight sets 7-6, 6-1. Folland will take on the nation’s No. 4-ranked freshman Hayley Carter in the quarterfinals Sunday.
Sophomore Ximena Siles Luna snagged her first career victory against a ranked opponent with a 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 upset of No. 45 Joelle Kissell from NC State in the round of 32. In the ensuing round, Siles Luna narrowly lost to No. 78 Marianne Jodoin of Duke 6-7, 6-4, 7-5. Siles Luna still holds the team’s best record thus far in the fall with a 7-2 mark.
Elixane Lechemia and Katerina Popova also recorded victories in the round of 32. Popova beat Joana Eidukonyte from Clemson 1-6, 6-1, 6-0, while Lechemia needed three sets to take out Duke’s Annie Mulholland 6-4, 2-6, 6-4. Popova fell to No. 27 Beatrice Capra in the next round 6-2, 6-3 and Lechemia suffered a 7-5, 6-2 loss to No. 7 Yana Koroleva of Clemson.
Caroline Dailey, Dominika Kanakova and Meghan Blevins all took losses in the round of 32. Dailey went down in three to No. 100 Ashley Dai from UNC 6-2, 3-6, 6-4, Kasey Gardiner of Wake Forest defeated Kanakova 6-3, 6-4, and Alyssa Smith beat Blevins 6-0, 4-6, 6-2.
The Gamecocks’ two doubles teams that survived Friday lost their round of 16 matches. Clemson’s Dewar and Koroleva upended Lechemia and Siles Luna by an 8-6 count, and No. 42-rated Dai and Lyons from North Carolina tripped up Blevins and Folland by the same score.
SINGLES MAIN DRAW ROUND OF 32
#77 Katerina Popova, SC, def. Joana Eidukonyte, Clemson, 1-6, 6-1, 6-0
#100 Ashley Dai, North Carolina, def. Caroline Dailey, SC, 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Ximena Siles Luna, SC, def. #45 Joelle Kissell, NC State, 6-4, 0-6, 6-2
Elixane Lechemia, SC, def. Annie Mulholland, Duke, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4
Kasey Gardiner, Wake Forest, def. Dominika Kanakova, SC, 6-3, 6-4
Brigit Folland, SC, def. Samantha Asch, Wake Forest, 6-1, 1-0 ret.
Alyssa Smith, Duke, def. #109 Meghan Blevins, SC, 6-0, 4-6, 6-2
SINGLES MAIND DRAW ROUND OF 16
#27 Beatrice Capra, Duke, def. #77 Katerina Popova, SC, 6-2, 6-3
#78 Marianne Jodoin, Duke, def. Ximena Siles Luna, SC, 6-7, 6-4, 7-5
#7 Yana Koroleva, Clemson, def. Elixane Lechemia, SC, 7-5, 6-2
Brigit Folland, SC, def. #42 Ester Goldfeld, Duke, 7-6, 6-1
DOUBLES MAIN DRAW ROUND OF 16
Dewar/Koroleva, Clemson, def. Lechemia/Siles Luna, SC, 8-6
#42 Dai/Lyons, North Carolina, def. Blevins/Folland, SC, 8-6
