University of Missouri
Mizzou Invitational
Tigers Get Four Wins on First Day of Mizzou Invite
9/21/2017 2:44:00 PM | Tennis
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Four Tigers earned individual wins during the opening day of the Mizzou Invite, held Thursday at the Mizzou Tennis Complex.
The four-team invitational saw morning singles competition between players from Kansas State and Wichita State, and then afternoon singles competition between Mizzou and Memphis. In between the two, the four teams joined for a quartet of doubles matches.
Senior Clare Raley (Atlanta, Ga.) was the first to emerge victorious, registering an easy 6-3, 6-1 win over Memphis' Josephine Cao. She was quickly joined in the Tigers' straight-set win club by sophomore Serena Nash (Bradford, England), who defeated Lina Hohnold of Memphis by a 6-2, 6-4 score.
Senior Amina Ismail (Maineville, Ohio) won the final five points of a third-set tiebreaker to beat Katherine Cao of Memphis, 6-2, 3-6, 10-7, and freshman Ellie Wright (Gainesville, Fla.) held off UM's Claire Sullivan, 7-6 (5), 6-2.
"So good, Amina... so good."#ShowMe how to win the last five points of a tiebreak, @aismail95! ????#MIZ ???? pic.twitter.com/TRjc3dKBKh
— Mizzou Tennis (@MizzouTennis) September 21, 2017
"I was very proud of the way they turned it around. They had the mentality of making sure they're starting better. They definitely performed better during the singles," said head coach Colt Gaston. "Ellie does a good job of being "Mizzou Proud." It's been fun seeing her kind of be the hometown girl. It was awesome to see the girls come out fired up after the doubles session. Clare Raley dominated, and I know it was important for her to come out and put the pedal down against a good player.
"When you have a not-so-great start like we did (in the morning), it's important to see how your team responds. As a coach, you really want to see them do that. Everybody across the board did that, and even though some matches didn't go our way, Mackenzy and Marta still gave a lot of heart and soul, which you love seeing. We'll get back to work tomorrow."
Play resumes Friday for the second day of the Mizzou Invite. All four teams begin with doubles play at 10 a.m., with Mizzou wrapping up singles play vs. Wichita State immediately following the completion of the doubles session.
For all the latest on Mizzou Tennis, stay tuned to mutigers.com and follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
MIZZOU INVITE DAY ONE RESULTS
MORNING SINGLES
Anna Turco (KSU) def. Fatima Bizhukova (WSU), 6-4, 6-4
Ines Mesquita (KSU) def. Gabriela Porubin (WSU), 7-6 (3), 6-7 (2), 7-5
Marta Belluco (WSU) def. Carolina Costamagna (KSU), 7-5, 7-5
Alexandra Lazarova (WSU) def. Meghan King (KSU), 6-1, 6-4
DOUBLES
Ting-Ya Hsu/Marta Belluco (WSU) def. Serena Nash/Ellie Wright (MIZ), 6-4
Carolina Costamagna/Anna Turco (KSU) def. Hanna Sohn/Lina Hohnold (MEM), 6-3
Claire Sullivan/Josephine Cao (MEM) def. Mackenzy Middlebrooks/Clare Raley (MIZ), 6-2
Meghan King/Ines Mesquita (KSU) def. Laura Bente/Katherine Cao (MEM), 6-3
AFTERNOON SINGLES
Hanna Sohn (MEM) def. Marta Oliveira (MIZ), 6-4, 6-3
Serena Nash (MIZ) def. Lina Hohnold (MEM), 6-2, 6-4
Laura Bente (MEM) def. Mackenzy Middlebrooks (MIZ), 0-6, 6-2, 7-6 (5)
Amina Ismail (MIZ) def. Katherine Cao (MEM), 6-2, 3-6, 10-7
Ellie Wright (MIZ) def. Claire Sullivan (MEM), 7-6 (5), 6-2
Clare Raley (MIZ) def. Josephine Cao (MEM), 6-3, 6-1
Players Mentioned
