Women's Tennis Opens Fall Competition at H-E-B Invitational
9/20/2024 8:00:00 PM | Women's Tennis
WACO, Texas - The Rice Owls women's tennis team began fall competition at the H-E-B Invitational hosted by Baylor University on Friday in Waco.
Action started in the morning with the doubles matches, where the Owls were able to claim victories in five of the eight events Rice student-athletes participated in. Nithesa Selvaraj and Saara Orav defeated their opponents from Illinois to notch Rice's first victory of the invitational (6-2). Divna Ratkovic and Valentina Ponce defeated the tandem from UTSA to claim the second victory (6-4), followed by Darya Schwartzman and Fernanda Martinez's victory over the duo from Colorado to take the third doubles victory (6-1). Ratkovic and Ponce returned to play to take down a duo from Nebraska (6-2), and finally Schwartzman and Fernandez claimed Rice's final doubles victory of the day by taking down the team from Arizona (6-1).
Rice claimed four victories in singles competition, starting with Martinez's 6-0, 7-5 victory over her opponent from UTSA. Ponce took down her opponent from Nebraska in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)), then Anushka Ashar took a 6-3, 6-4 decision over her opponent from Illinois. Orav rounded out Rice's day with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over her opposition from UTSA.
The players who made the trip will be returning to play tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. Start time was moved up an hour due to expected heat in the Waco area.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
Selvaraj/Orav (RICE) def. Seccia/Madatali (ILL), 6-2
Ratkovic/Ponce Serrano (RICE) def. Sanchez/Baccino (UTSA), 6-4
Taranova/Miyoshi (NEB) def. Patton/Ashar (BU/RICE), 6-4
Schwartzman/Martinez-Hernandez (RICE) def. Rebec/Nelson (COL), 6-1
Ratkovic/Ponce Serrano (RICE) def. Taranova/Miyoshi (NEB), 6-2
Sanchez/Baccino (UTSA) def. Patton/Ashar (BU/RICE), 6-2
Schwartzman/Martinez-Hernandez (RICE) def. Tuhten/Nevenhoven (UA), 6-1
Schouten/Cortes (UH) def. Selvaraj/Orav (RICE), 6-1
SINGLES
Daria Smetannikov (TAMU) def. Darya Schwartzman (RICE), 6-2, 6-1
Danielle Tuhten (UA) def. Divna Ratkovic (RICE), 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (14-12)
Lizanne Boyer (TAMU) def. Nithesa Selvaraj (RICE), 6-2, 7-5
Maria Fernanda Martinez Hernandez (RICE) def. Natalia Castaneda Guerrero (UTSA), 6-0, 7-5
Valentina Ponce Serrano (RICE) def. Yuzu Miyoshi (NEB), 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)
Anushka Ashar (RICE) def. Rose Seccia (ILL), 6-3, 6-4
Saara Orav (RICE) def. Arina Babenko (UTSA), 6-4, 6-4
Action started in the morning with the doubles matches, where the Owls were able to claim victories in five of the eight events Rice student-athletes participated in. Nithesa Selvaraj and Saara Orav defeated their opponents from Illinois to notch Rice's first victory of the invitational (6-2). Divna Ratkovic and Valentina Ponce defeated the tandem from UTSA to claim the second victory (6-4), followed by Darya Schwartzman and Fernanda Martinez's victory over the duo from Colorado to take the third doubles victory (6-1). Ratkovic and Ponce returned to play to take down a duo from Nebraska (6-2), and finally Schwartzman and Fernandez claimed Rice's final doubles victory of the day by taking down the team from Arizona (6-1).
Rice claimed four victories in singles competition, starting with Martinez's 6-0, 7-5 victory over her opponent from UTSA. Ponce took down her opponent from Nebraska in three sets (3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)), then Anushka Ashar took a 6-3, 6-4 decision over her opponent from Illinois. Orav rounded out Rice's day with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over her opposition from UTSA.
The players who made the trip will be returning to play tomorrow morning at 9 a.m. Start time was moved up an hour due to expected heat in the Waco area.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
Selvaraj/Orav (RICE) def. Seccia/Madatali (ILL), 6-2
Ratkovic/Ponce Serrano (RICE) def. Sanchez/Baccino (UTSA), 6-4
Taranova/Miyoshi (NEB) def. Patton/Ashar (BU/RICE), 6-4
Schwartzman/Martinez-Hernandez (RICE) def. Rebec/Nelson (COL), 6-1
Ratkovic/Ponce Serrano (RICE) def. Taranova/Miyoshi (NEB), 6-2
Sanchez/Baccino (UTSA) def. Patton/Ashar (BU/RICE), 6-2
Schwartzman/Martinez-Hernandez (RICE) def. Tuhten/Nevenhoven (UA), 6-1
Schouten/Cortes (UH) def. Selvaraj/Orav (RICE), 6-1
SINGLES
Daria Smetannikov (TAMU) def. Darya Schwartzman (RICE), 6-2, 6-1
Danielle Tuhten (UA) def. Divna Ratkovic (RICE), 6-4, 4-6, 1-0 (14-12)
Lizanne Boyer (TAMU) def. Nithesa Selvaraj (RICE), 6-2, 7-5
Maria Fernanda Martinez Hernandez (RICE) def. Natalia Castaneda Guerrero (UTSA), 6-0, 7-5
Valentina Ponce Serrano (RICE) def. Yuzu Miyoshi (NEB), 3-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-7)
Anushka Ashar (RICE) def. Rose Seccia (ILL), 6-3, 6-4
Saara Orav (RICE) def. Arina Babenko (UTSA), 6-4, 6-4
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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