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FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. – Junior Emily Flickinger and sophomore Pleun Burgmans advanced to the doubles consolation final, but fell short in a tiebreaker on the final day of the ITA/USTA Intercollegiate Indoor Championships on Sunday at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center.
The doubles tandem, who won the ITA Southern Regional on Oct. 21, battled through the consolation draw to get to Sunday’s final before falling to USC’s team of Boren/Katz 8-7(4) in a back and forth match.
"I was pleased with our performance for the most part. We came away with some quality wins and experiecnes that will help us move forward into the spring," Auburn head coach Lauren Longbotham Meisner said. "We came away from quality wins and experiences that will help us move forward into the spring."
Burgmans and Flickinger knocked off Texas’ 41st-ranked pair of Breanna Addison and Pippa Horn, 8-4, to begin play in the consolation draw on Friday. Auburn’s duo breezed to another 8-4 win on Saturday during the semifinal round, defeating North Carolina’s Brynn Boren/Zoe Katz.
The 34th-ranked duo of Burgmans/Flickinger fell into the consolation draw after dropping their opening match against the tournament’s second seed, USC’s Kaitlyn Christian/Sabrina Santamaria on Thursday.
Burgmans also posted a great run through the singles consolation draw, advancing to the semifinals. The sophomore battled through a hard-fought match against UNLV’s Lucia Batta in the Round of 32. Burgmans took the first set in a tiebreaker 7-6 (4), but dropped the next set 4-6 before losing the deciding third set 2-6.
The 18th-ranked sophomore worked her way through the consolation draw picking up two wins to advance to the tournament’s semfinals.
Burgmans outlasted Florida’s Alexandra Cercone 6-7(3), 6-2, 6-1 on Friday and cruised to a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Texas A&M’s Cristina Stancu on Saturday morning to make it to the semis. Georgia State’s Abigal Tere-Apisah defeated Burgmans 6-3, 6-2 to end the sophomore’s run at the National Indoors.
Auburn’s second team of Jackie Kasler and Jen Pfeifler also appeared in the ITA/USTA Intercollegiate Indoor Championships.
After receiving a bye into the Round of 16, the duo fell to the tournament’s top-seeded team of Jennifer Brady and Catherine Harrison from UCLA, 8-4. Despite a strong effort, Kasler/Pfiefler were defeated by Oklahoma’s Mia Lancaster and Whitney Ritchie, 8-3 in the consolation quarterfinals.
The ITA/USTA Intercollegiate Indoor Championships marked the final action of the fall season for the Tigers. Auburn begins its 2014 slate in January, but Meisner believes the Tigers succesful fall season will set up momentum for the spring.
"At this level, every opponent we met was going to be a 20 caliber opponent so you couldn't have an off day, you have to bring you A-game to every match," Meisner said. "We had a very rewarding fall season and we hope to build on our accomplishments and confidence and bring that into our spring."
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ITA/USTA Intercollegiate Indoor Results
Pleun Burgmans – Consolation Singles Semifinals
Round of 64: L, Lucia Batta (UNLV), 6-7 (4), 6-4, 6-2
Cons. Round of 16: W, Alexandra Cercone (UF), 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-1
Cons. Quarterfinals; W, Cristina Stancu (TAMU), 7-5, 6-2
Cons. Semifinals: L, Abigail Tere-Apisah (Georgia State) 6-3, 6-2
Pleun Burgmans/Emily Flickinger – Consolation Doubles Runners-up
Round of 32 – Bye
Round of 16 – L, Christian/Santamaria (USC), 8-4
Cons. Quarterfinals – W, Addison/Horn (TEX), 8-4
Cons. Semifinals – W, Carter/Loeb (UNC), 8-4
Cons. Finals – L, Boren/Katz (USC), 8-7 (4)
Jackie Kasler/Jen Pfeifler – Consolation Doubles Quarterfinals
Round of 32 – Bye
Round of 16 – L, Brady/Harrison (UCLA), 8-4
Cons. Quarterfinals – L, Lancaster/Richie (OKLA), 8-3
