Gamecocks Advance in Doubles at Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
SURPRISE, Ariz. – South Carolina’s doubles team of Mia Horvit and Ingrid Gamarra Martins advanced to the round of 16 after claiming a first-round win on Wednesday at the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships hosted at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex.
No. 20-ranked Horvit and Gamarra Martins did not allow Virginia’s Meghan Kelley and Sofia Munero Sanchez a single game in the first set, downing the Cavaliers, 6-0. In the second set, the Gamecocks found themselves down, 2-0. Winning five games in-a-row, Horvit and Gamarra Martins took a, 5-2, lead over the UVA tandem. Kelley and Munero Sanchez made a run, but it was not enough, with the Gamecocks coming out on top, 6-0, 6-4.
“We played some decent tennis at times (Wednesday) and the day ended well, playing the aggressive doubles that we know we can play,” head coach Kevin Epley said. “Still, the day was challenging and I’m hoping we can learn a few lessons from the matches and go out and perform stronger (Thursday).”
Paige Cline faced off against LSU’s No. 38-ranked Eden Richardson, falling in the first set, 6-3. Not ready to go down without a fight, Cline jumped to an early, 2-0, lead second set. With the set tied, 4-4, the senior won two-straight games, winning, 6-4, and forcing a third.
Cline and Richardson were tied, 2-2, before the Gamecock claimed three-consecutive games, going up, 5-2. Richardson stormed back, tying the final set, 5-5. The Tiger then completed the comeback with Cline falling, 6-3, 4-6, 7-5.
No. 45 Gamarra Martins and No. 3-seeded and No. 41-ranked Evgeniya Levashova of Pepperdine played a close first few games, only wavering one point. Gamarra Martins took the first point of the set, eventually tying it at 2-2. The senior fell behind Levashova and was not able to rally, dropping the first set, 6-3.
In the second, Gamarra Martins found herself down, 3-1, and grinded out two-straight games, tying the second set at 3-3. Levashova went up one, 4-3, but Gammara Martins evened the score again, 4-4. Ultimately, Gammara Martins fell to her seeded opponent, 6-3, 6-4.
Megan Davies and Rachel Rohrabacher were not able to overcome California’s duo of Anna Bright and Jasie Dunk, falling in a pair of sets, 6-3, 6-1.
Next, Horvit and Gamarra Martins will see No. 8-seeded and No. 27-ranked Angela Kulikov and Rianna Valdes of Southern Cal in the round of 16 on Thursday.
Day 1 Results
Singles
#38 Richardson (LSU) def. Cline (SC) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5
#3/#41 Levashova (PEPP) def. #45 Gamarra Martins (SC) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles
Bright/Dunk (CAL) def. Davies/Rohrabacher (SC) 6-3, 6-1
#20 Horvit/Gamarra Martins (SC) def. Kelley/Munero Sanchez (UVA) 6-0, 6-4
