Troy University Athletics
Smith Picks Up Wins At UGA Invitational
1/16/2010 3:00:00 AM | Tennis (W)
ATHENS, Ga. - Troy University newcomer Emma Smith picked up a pair of victories on the opening day of the UGA Invitational Friday, earning praise from her coaches.
Smith picked up the lone singles victory for the Trojans against 31st-ranked Texas on Friday morning, earning a hard-fought straight set victory over Texas' Maya Zein-El Abdin. The freshman found herself down three points in each set, falling behind 3-0 in the first set and then 5-2 in the second set before battling for the win. Smith was able to claim a 6-4, 7-5 come-from-behind victory.
"The girls all competed well against some tough competition today," Troy assistant tennis coach Tyler Faulkner said. "The one player who stood out today was Emma (Smith) who won both of her matches on the day against Big XII competition. She had to come from behind in both sets in singles, proving that she is a fighter."
In other singles action, Karoline Grymel fell to 22nd-ranked Aeriel Ellis 6-4, 6-4; while Lauren Simpson fell to 27th-ranked Krista Damico 6-4, 6-3 at the number two position. At number three, Leonie Guijt fell to Maggie Mello of the Longhorns in straight sets 6-4, 6-4; while at number four Stephanie Vieira fell to Carlene Leyden 6-4, 6-1. In the only other singles match of the day, Rosaura Ramirez-Vega fell 6-1, 6-2 to Sarah Lancaster of Texas.
Smith also picked up a doubles victory for the Trojans, as she teamed with Lauren Simpson for an 8-5 victory over Maryna Chumak and Nina Sertic of Kansas State. In the only other doubles match of the day for the Trojans, the team of Grymel and Guijt lost to Georgia State's Diana Nakic and Kir Kemp 8-2.
The round-robin event features student-athletes from Georgia, Georgia State, Kansas State, Texas and Troy. The tournament continues through the weekend. Action begins Saturday with doubles at 8 am followed at 2 pm by singles play.
2010 Georgia Invitational Results: Friday, Jan. 15
Singles
#22 Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. Karoline Grymel (Troy) 6-4, 6-4
#27 Krista Damico (UT) def. Lauren Simpson (Troy) 6-4,6-3
Maggie Mello (UT) def. Leonie Guijt (Troy) 6-4, 6-4
Stephanie Davison (UT) def. Stephanie Vieira (Troy) 6-4,6-1
Carlene Leyden (UT) def. Rosaura Ramirez-Vega (Troy) 6-1,6-2
Sarah Lancaster (UT) def. Gabriella Veiga (Troy) 6-0,6-1
Abby Liu (UT) def. Nina Sertic (KSU) 6-3, 6-2
Emma Smith (TU) def. Maya Zein-El-Abdin (UT) 6-4,7-5
#42 Diana Nakic (GSU) def. #59 Vanja Corovic (UT) 6-2,6-1
Amanda Craddock (UT) def. Kir Kemp (GSU) 6-1,6-1
Stephanie Davison (UT) def. Maryna Chumak (KSU) 6-3,6-3
Caroline Larsson (UT) def. Linda Hricistova (GSU) 6-3,6-1
#14 Chelsey Gullickson (UGA) def. Antea Huljev (KSU) 6-3,6-1
#57 Nadja Gilchrist (UGA) def. Karla Bonacic (KSU) 6-2, 6-2
Cameron Ellis (UGA) def. Carmen Borau Ramos (KSU) 6-4, 6-0
Natasha Vieira (KSU) def. Lara Fakhoury (UGA) 1-6,3-4 ret./shoulder injury
Yvette Hyndman (UGA) def. Ana Gomez Aleman (KSU) 6-0,6-7(1),6-3
Naoko Ueshima (UGA) def. Petra Chuda (KSU) 6-4,6-1
Doubles
Gilchrist/Gullickson (UGA) def. #27 Craddock/Damico (UT) 8-3
Corovic/Ellis (UT) def. Ellis/Hyndman (UGA) 8-6
Bonacic/Huljev (KSU) def. Davison/Larsson (UT) 8-2
Lancaster/Mello (UT) def. Borau Ramons/Vieira (KSU) 8-5
Chuda/Aleman (KSU) def. Liu/Zein-El-Abdin (UT) 9-7
Simpson/Smith (Troy) def. Chumak/Sertic (KSU) 8-5
Nakic/Kemp (GSU) def. Grymel/Guijt (Troy) 8-2
