Akli and Hamner Set for ITA National Fall Championships
Columbia, S.C. – South Carolina women’s tennis graduate Ayana Akli and junior Sarah Hamner will represent the program at the ITA National Fall Championships in San Diego, Calif., this week. The event will run Nov. 1-5 at the Barnes Tennis Center.
For Hamner, this will be her third appearance in as many years at the exclusive event. As a freshman, Hamner booked her spot after winning the ITA All-American singles title and as a sophomore she earned the entry after becoming the ITA Carolina Region Champion. Now in 2023, Hamner, ranked No. 25 in the country, claimed her spot in the draw after having advanced to the semifinals of the All-American Championships.
Akli also earned her spot in the 2023 event after having advanced to the semifinals of the All-American Championships and is familiar with the event, having earned one of the coveted spots in 2021 after moving up from the third position on the alternate list.
The singles draw features 32 of the best players from around the country. Of the 32, nine are from SEC schools and South Carolina is one of seven schools to have more than one player in the draw.
Through fall play, Hamner leads the team with a 10-2 singles record with nine of her wins coming over ranked opponents – two in the top-10. Akli’s fall singles record of 6-3 features all six of her wins over ranked opponents with three of them over top-25 foes.
The Gamecocks have had success at the National Fall Championships in the tournament’s brief six-year history. Hamner advanced to the main draw quarterfinals at the 2021 edition of the event and Megan Davies advanced to the semifinals at the 2019 edition. Last year, Hamner advanced to the consolation semifinals.
Draws and results for the 2023 tournament will be available on the event webpage. Live streaming will be provided by Track Tennis and Cracked Racquets will provide a cross-court broadcast here.
For all the latest South Carolina women’s tennis information, continue to follow GamecocksOnline.com or the team on social media (@GamecockWTennis).
