College Tennis News - Full Slate Of Semifinals Set For Women of Troy

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIF. -- The USC women's tennis team is in good position for title runs at the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships with two singles semifinalists and top-ranked Christian/Santamaria in line for the doubles semis tomorrow in Pacific Palisades, Calif.

In a busy day of competition for the Women of Troy, two Trojan singles players pinned up a pair of wins to jump from the morning's Round of 16 to tomorrow's semifinals. Although No. 5 seed Sabrina Santamaria was tripped up in the Round of 16, No. 4 seeded Trojan Zoë Scandalis fought back for a Round of 16 win to move on against Stanford's Krista Hardebeck in the afternoon's Quarterfinals. There, Scandalis shrugged off a tight first set to power on to a 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (0) decision that scores the sophomore a spot in the semifinals tomorrow. In the opposite semi, another Trojan sits, as senior No. 8 seed Danielle Lao advanced to the quarters and cruised past Georgia's Maho Kowase with a 6-2, 6-3 win for advancement. Scandalis will face a tough qualifier from Virginia in Julia Elbaba, and Lao is up against No. 3 seeded Lauren Embree of Florida.

In the doubles scene, USC's top-seeded Kaitlyn Christian and Sabrina Santamaria topped an Illinois pair in the Round of 16 to square off against a No. 4 seeded Bruin pair tomorrow in the semifinals. That crosstown clash is set for 1:30 p.m. at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades.

Complete USC results from the ITA All-American Championships are below.

Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships (Pacific Palisades, Calif.)
http://www.itatennis.com/Events/ITANationalChampionships/WomensAllAmerican.htm

MAIN DRAW SINGLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
First Round - Oct. 4
#7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. Ema Burgic (BAY) -- 6-1, 6-1
#8 [5] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. #24 Lauren McHale (UNC) -- 6-1, 6-1
#11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) def. #12 Kate Turvy (NW) -- 6-3, 6-3

Round of 16 - Oct. 5
#7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. #96 Nicole Bartnik (COL) -- 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
#18 Brynn Boren (TENN) def. #8 [5] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) -- 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3
#11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Ecaterina Vasenina (USF) -- 5-2 ret. (inj.)

Quarterfinals - Oct. 5
#7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. Krista Hardebeck (STAN) -- 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(0)
#11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Maho Kowase (UGA) -- 6-2, 6-3

Semifinals - Oct. 6
#7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) vs. Julia Elbaba (UVA)
#11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) vs. [3] Lauren Embree (FLA)

MAIN DRAW DOUBLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
Round of 32 - Oct. 4
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) -- bye
Guarachi/Macfarlane (ALA) def. DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) -- 8-2

Round of 16 - Oct. 4
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. #14 Narattana/Rose (OKST) -- 8-4

Quarterfinals - Oct. 5
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Kopinski/White (ILL) -- 8-4

Semifinals - Oct. 5
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) vs. [4] Anderson/Morton (UCLA) -- 1:30 p.m. PT

MAIN DRAW CONSOLATION MATCHES
Burgic/Sanford (BAY) def. DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) -- 8-2

PREQUALIFYING SINGLES (Westwood, Calif.)
First Round - Sept. 29
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. #120 Julia Fellerhoff (Louisville) -- 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4
Second Round - Sept. 29
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Michaela Bezdickova (New Mexico) -- 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
Third Round - Sept. 30
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Daneika Borthwick (Florida State) -- 6-2, 6-2

QUALIFYING SINGLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
First Round - Oct. 2
#37 [12] Maho Kowase (UGA) def. Gabriella DeSimone (USC) -- 6-1, 6-2
Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Nives Pavlovic (UNLV) -- 6-3, 6-2

Second Round - Oct. 2
#85 Elizabeth Epstein (YALE) def. Kaitlyn Christian (USC) -- 6-3, 6-2

QUALIFYING DOUBLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
First Round - Oct. 2
DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. Jones/Stephens (OLE) -- 8-2
#28 [7] Bonacic/Niedermayerova (KSt) def. Lao/Pulido (USC) -- 8-1

Second Round - Oct. 3
DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. #30 Fuller/Herring (UGA) -- 8-3

Third Round - Oct. 3
DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. #41 Nauta/Xi (UVA) -- 8-6

QUALIFYING CONSOLATION MATCHES
Lao/Pulido (USC) def. Bergner/Rath (DU) -- 8-1
#44 Mary Clayton (Duke) def. Gabriella DeSimone (USC) -- 6-2, 6-0