College Tennis News - Buckeyes Conclude Fall Season at Thunderbird Invitational

COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The women’s tennis team wrapped up its fall season with three Buckeyes competing at the ASU Thunderbird Invitational, hosted by Arizona State in Tempe, Ariz. The tournament, which ran Friday through Sunday, included a 32-player singles draw and doubles matches. Buckeye senior Christina Keesey led the way with a 3-1 record. Junior Paloma Escobedo and freshman Kara Cecil also played in the tournament, each going 1-3.

Keesey advanced to the round of 16 after a walkover against Ashlee Brown of the host Sun Devils, who withdrew because of illness. She then lost to No. 4 seed Rika Tatsuno of Michigan, 6-2, 6-3. In consolation play Keesey beat Stephanie Jasper of Boise State in straight sets (6-3, 6-2) and San Diego’s Juliette Coupez, 6-3, 7-6 (6). Keesey faced off against Brown on Sunday and was a 6-1, 6-1 winner.

Escobedo fell to Arizona State’s Michelle Brycki in the round of 32, 6-3, 6-4. In consolation she suffered a tough three-set loss to California’s Kasia Siwosz, 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-3. She finished out the tournament with a win over Arizona State’s Sianna Simmons, 6-1, 6-0, and a loss to No. 95-ranked MIcaela Hein of the Sun Devils, 6-2, 6-3.

Cecil rallied for her win over Taylor Fournier of Michigan in the consolation bracket, 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3. She opened the tournament with a 6-2, 6-3 loss to Michigan’s Thien-Trang Nguyen. She fell in three sets to Bianca Jochimsen of Boise State, 4-6, 7-5, 7-5 and lost in straight sets to California’s Nelly Radeva, 6-3, 6-1.

In doubles, Keesey and Escobedo paired up for a win over Cal’s Kasia Siwosz and Nelly Radeva, 8-4. The tandem dropped matches to Michigan’s Tania Mahtani and Whitney Taney (8-3) and Arizona State’s Kelcy McKenna and Ashlee Brown, 8-3. Cecil paired up with Amanda Martin of the Sun Devils to go 1-1, with a win over a team from Cal and a los to a tandem from San Diego.

ASU Thunderbird Invitational

Nov. 6-8, 2009

Tempe, Ariz.

Round of 32

Thien-Trang Nguyen (Michigan) def. Cecil (OSU), 6-2, 6-3

Michelle Brycki (ASU) def. Escobedo (OSU), 6-3, 6-4

Keesey (OSU) def. Ashlee Brown (ASU) – walkover/ill

Round of 16

#102 Rika Tatsuno (Michigan) def. Keesey (OSU), 6-3, 6-1

Consolation

Keesey (OSU) def. Brown (ASU), 6-1, 6-1

Keesey (OSU) def. Stephanie Jasper (BSU), 6-3, 6-2

Keesey (OSU) def. Juliette Coupez (USD), 6-3, 7-6 (6)

Cecil (OSU) def. Taylor Fournier (Michigan), 6-7 (5), 6-2, 6-3

Escobedo (OSU) def. Sianna Simmons (ASU), 6-1, 6-0

Nelly Radeva (California) def. Cecil (OSU), 6-3, 6-1

Bianca Jochimsen (Boise State) def. Cecil (OSU), 4-6, 7-5, 7-5

#95 Micaela Hein (ASU) def. Escobedo (OSU), 6-2, 6-3

Kasia Siwosz (Cal) def. Escobedo (OSU), 7-6 (4), 6-7 (5), 6-3

Doubles

Martin (ASU)/Cecil (OSU) def. Chang/Visico (Cal), 8-5
Keesey/Escobedo (OSU) def. Kasia Siwosz/Nelly Radeva (Cal), 8-4

Amanda Martin(ASU)/Cecil (OSU) def. Chang/Visico (Cal), 8-5
Tania Mahtani/Whitney Taney Keesey (MICH) def. Keesey/Escobedo (OSU), 8-3

Kelcy McKenna/Ashlee Brown (ASU) def. Keesey/Escobedo (OSU), 8-3

Coupez/Raygada (USD) def. Amanda Martin (ASU)/Cecil (OSU) 8-3

Leann Parker

Associate Director

Ohio State Athletics Communications

614-688-0294 (o)

614-266-4309 (c)

parker.387@osu.edu

Twitter.com/LeannBP

OhioStateBuckeyes.com