Shelton Wins ITA Summer Circuit Event

COLUMBIA, S.C. — Emma Shelton from the South Carolina women’s tennis team captured a tournament title on the Oracle ITA Summer Circuit Powered by UTR on Monday.

Shelton ran away with the singles trophy in the A Flight of an event hosted by Georgia Gwinnett College in Lawrenceville, Ga. She dropped just 11 games in five matches and won the championship bout by a 6-1, 6-0 score. Her opening-round 6-3, 6-1 victory against Zoe Cauthen of Charleston Southern paved the way for three consecutive 6-1, 6-1 triumphs before earning her most lopsided win in the final.

Hailing from Gainesville, Fla., Shelton, this season’s ITA Carolina Region Rookie of the Year, had an unblemished 11-0 singles record during the spring with the majority of her matches coming at the No. 3 singles spot. She was ranked a career-high No. 92 in singles when the season ended and ascended as high as No. 12 in the nation in doubles with Silvia Chinellato before the pair finished 24th. Shelton also earned SEC Freshman of the Week in February following wins against Oklahoma State and Coastal Carolina.

In the fall, Shelton won singles titles at the South Carolina Fall Invitational and the SMU Fall Invitational in September. She and Chinellato reached the doubles championship match at the ITA Carolina Regional Championships in October before ending the fall with a No. 18 national ranking together. Prior to the start of spring collegiate competition, Shelton captured the USTA Girls’ 18 Winter Nationals in early January, which combined with her spring dual match record gave her an 18-match unbeaten streak when the season ended.

Shelton went 19-3 overall in singles during her first year with the Gamecocks, the second-most wins on the team. She also led the team in doubles victories with a 19-8 record while going 8-3 in dual matches.