_ctofeatured.jpg "Sabrina Santamaria's singles silver helps lift Trojans to the podium.")
Sabrina Santamaria's singles silver helps lift Trojans to the podium.
Univ. of Southern California Team Page
Members of USC's men's and women's tennis team and coaching staff have returned home after having represented the United States at the 2013 World University Games in Kazan, Russia, this month. Four Women of Troy and four Trojan men comprised the rosters for Team USA's competition at the Games, and the USC contingent has brought home some hardware for its return to Troy. Headlined by Sabrina Santamaria's run to a silver medal in singles, the USC women anchored a bronze medal in the team competition for the United States.
The Trojan men's most successful efforts were from Ray Sarmiento with a quarterfinal appearance in singles and a push to the consolation singles final by Jonny Wang. Sarmiento would fall to eventual silver medalist Antso Rakotondramanga in the men's singles quarters after dispatching three opponents in the opening rounds. Wang, too, picked up three wins in consolation singles to reach the final in that bracket, where he fell to Shota Tagawa of Japan. USC's men's doubles pair of Sarmiento and incoming freshman Robbie Bellamy reached the quarterfinals.
The Trojan teams paired up in mixed doubles as Wang and Ellie Yates combined forces as USA teammates. They'd pick up a win and a loss, while USC's NCAA championship pairing of Kaitlyn Christian and Sabrina Santamaria went to work in the women's doubles bracket. The power pair grabbed two decisive wins before taking a quarterfinal loss to a tough Russian duo, Pavlyuchenkova/Vesnina.
In women's singles competition, Gabriella DeSimone picked up a win and a loss for Team USA, while Santamaria steamrolled her way to the final and took her only loss after a fighting performance against Japan's Sachie Ishizu. Santamaria finished up with the silver medal in singles, adding a bronze medal alongside her USA teammates, Christian, DeSimone and Yates. Also participating in the women's action in Kazan was Trojan Giuliana Olmos, who was competing for Mexico. Olmos played singles and doubles for Mexico.
The USA teams were coached by a Trojan staff of West Nott, Peter Smith and Krzysztof Kwinta.
Complete USC results at the 2013 World University Games are below. Steve Kelley article on Sabrina Santamaria: http://www.wugusa.com/even-in-a-loss-santamaria-has-the-experience-of-her-life/
For more information, visit http://kazan2013.ru
Men's Singles
RAY SARMIENTO (USA)
2nd Round
def. Aref Taifour (JOR) -- 6-0, 6-0
3rd Round
def. Isade Juneau (CAN) -- 6-3, 6-1
Round of 16
def. Victor Baluda (RUS) 6-3, 6-2
Quarterfinals
lost to Antso Rakotondramanga (MAD) -- 6-3, 7-6 --- went on to win silver
ERIC JOHNSON (USA)
2nd Round
def. Scott Robert Whitbread (GBR) -- 6-4, 6-4
3rd Round
lost to Sho Katayama (JPN) -- 6-4, 6-2
ROBBIE BELLAMY (USA)
Consolation
lost to Mohd Faeez Said (MAS) -- 6-2, 6-2
JONNY WANG (USA)
Consolation
def. Jaber Al-Marri (QAT) -- 6-0, 6-1
def. Antoine Hoang (FRA) -- 6-3, 6-1
def. Phillip Karis Anderson (CAN) -- 6-2, 6-3
lost to Shota Tagawa (JPN) -- 6-2, 6-4 (FINAL)
Men's Doubles
BELLAMY/SARMIENTO (USA)
2nd Round
def. Chitemamwise/Mufunda (ZIM) -- 6-0, 6-0
Round of 16
def. Karaki/Zougheib (LIB) -- 6-1, 6-1
Quarterfinals
lost to Lee/Peng (TPE) -- 6-2, 6-2
Mixed Doubles
WANG/YATES (USA)
1st Round
def. Chitemamwise/Nyakudzuka (ZIM) -- 6-0, 6-0
2nd Round
lost to Lee/Lee (TPE) -- 6-1, 6-2
Women's Doubles
CHRISTIAN/SANTAMARIA (USA)
2nd Round
def. Han/Yu (KOR) -- 6-2, 6-4
Round of 16
def. Chiaparini/Chiaparini (BRA) -- 6-0, 6-1
Quarterfinals
lost to Pavlyuchenkova/Vesnina (RUS) -- 6-4, 6-3
GIULIANA OLMOS (MEXICO)
2nd Round
def. Chapomba/Chilamwa (MAW) -- 6-0, 6-0
Round of 16
lost to Sobaszkiewicz/Zagorska (POL) -- 6-3, 7-6
Women's Singles
SABRINA SANTAMARIA (USA)
1st Round
def. Fabiana Chiaparini (BRA) -- 6-1, 6-0
2nd Round
def. Luksika Kumkhum (THA) -- 7-5, 7-5
3rd Round
def. Daneika Lindy Borthwick (GBR) -- 6-0, 6-2
Round of 16
def. Wen-hsin Hsu (TPE) -- 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Quarterfinals
def. Laura Natalie Siegemund (GER) -- 7-6, 6-2
Semifinals
def. Hiroko Kuwata (JPN) -- 6-2, 6-2
Final
lost to Sachie Ishizu (JPN) -- 6-2, 7-5
GABRIELLA DESIMONE (USA)
2nd Round
def. Julija Korolova -- 6-1, 6-0
3rd Round
lost to Nudnida Luangnam (THA) -- 6-2, 6-4
KAILTYN CHRISTIAN (USA)
Consols
lost to Kristina Sanjevic (CAN) -- 6-2, 6-2
ELLIE YATES (USA)
Consols
def. Ran Meng (CHN) -- 6-1, 6-2
lost to Dominique Monique Harmath (CAN) -- 6-2, 6-2
GIULIANA OLMOS (MEXICO)
2nd Round
lost to Ekaterina Yashina (RUS) -- 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
