AUBURN, Ala. – The Auburn women’s tennis team closed the Southern ITA Regional at the Auburn Yarbrough Tennis Center on Monday, capping off the tournament with three wins including the singles and doubles championships.
The Tigers will send Pleun Burgmans in singles and the doubles pair of Burgmans and Emily Flickinger to the ITA National Indoor Collegiate Championships in Flushing Meadows, N.Y during Nov. 7-10.
“It was a phenomenal performance by our team throughout the week and I was proud of their intensity and energy we played with,” Auburn women’s tennis coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner said of Auburn’s regional results.
The doubles teammates battled in the all-Auburn singles final with Burgmans coming out the winner 6-3, 6-0.
Paired together in doubles, Burgmans and Flickinger defeated teammates Jackie Kasler and Jen Pfeifler earlier Monday in the doubles final. The 34th-ranked duo of Burgmans/Flickinger jumped out to a 7-2 early lead and closed out the match with a break to win 8-4.
Auburn could have two doubles teams represented in the national tournament as the 23rd-ranked duo of Kasler/Pfeifler are eligible to receive an at-large bid from the ITA.
“I’m glad with our overall fall performance. I hope our work in the fall will help us carry the momentum in our spring season,” Longbotham Meisner said.
The Tigers also picked up the championship in the singles consolation draw as Reka Muller knocked off Mississippi State’s Alexandra Perper in three sets 5-7, 7-5, 1-0(8). Muller battled through a tough second set to force the tiebreaker. The freshman jumped out to a 5-1 lead early in the tiebreak before finishing off Perper 10-8.
“I’m very proud of the way Reka composed herself after falling behind after the first set. To beat the top player from Mississippi State and battling back is a good thing to see from a younger player,” Longbotham Meisner said.
Auburn returns to action this weekend at the USTA Clay Court Tournament at Disney starting on Friday.
MONDAY MATCHES
Singles Main Draw // Championships
Pleun Burgmans (AUB) def. Emily Flickinger (AUB) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles Main Draw // Championships
Pleun Burgmans/Emily Flickinger (AUB) def. Jackie Kasler/Jen Pfiefler (AUB) 8-4
Singles Main Draw Consolation // Final Round
Reka Muller (AUB) def. Alexandra Perper (MSU), 5-7, 7-5, 1-0(8)
Singles B Draw Consolations // Final Round
Catherine Ragan (UAB) def. Manoela Chicacchio (LaTech) 6-3, 2-6, 1-0(4)
AUBURN SINGLES
Pleun Burgmans (So., Bergeijk, Netherlands)
Main (R64): W, Lewis (SAM), 6-2, 6-2
Main (R32): W, Guibe (MSU), 6-2, 6-1
Main (R16): W, Scott (LSU), 6-3, 6-4
Quarterfinals: W, Erin Routliffe (UA) 6-3, 7-6(3)
Semifinals: W, Caroline Rohde-Moe (MISS) 7-5, 6-1
Finals: W, vs. Flickinger (AUB) 6-3, 6-0
Emily Flickinger (Jr., Arlington, Va.)
Main (R64): W, Holloway (LSU), 6-1, 7-5
Main (R32): W, Mastuskova (USA), 6-1, 6-1
Main (R16): W, Daines (UA), 6-1, 6-3
Quarterfinals: W, El Kamash (MISS), 6-3, 6-4
Semifinals: vs. W, Stephanie N’tcha (SAM) 6-4, 6-3
Finals: L, Burgmans (AU) 3-6, 0-6
Reka Muller (Fr., Budapest, Hungary)
Main (R64): L, Spielmann (UA), 2-6, 6-4, 2-6
Consolation (R32): W, Hois (TUL), 6-1, 6-2
Consolation (R16): W, Verboven (MISS) 7-5, 6-1
Consolation Quarterfinals: W, Daniel (UAB), 6-1, 6-0
Consolation Semifinals: W, Ipek Birol (TUL), 6-1, 6-4
Consolation Finals: W, vs. Alexandra Perper (MSU), 5-7, 7-5, 1-0(8)
DOUBLES
Kasler/Pfiefler
Main (R32): W, Blanco/Zabor (UA), 8-5
Main (R16): W, Mezarosova/Newton (USA), 8-4
Quarterfinals: W, Blankvoort/Krol (ULM), 8-0
Semifinals: W, Perper, Tran (MSU), 8-7(6)
Finals: vs. L, Burgmans/Flickinger (AUB), 4-8
Burgmans/Flickinger
Main (R32): W, Holloway/Otero (LSU), 8-2
Main (R16): W, Castro/Witkowski (UAB), 8-1
Quarterfinals: W, Birol/Zyskocilova (TUL), 8-3
Semifinals: W, Daines/Mayretto (UA), 8-6
Finals: vs. W, Kasler/Pfiefler (AUB), Monday 8-4
