Troy University Athletics
Doubles Champ Crowned Saturday
10/16/2010 11:00:27 PM | General
Order of Play Agate
Brengle, Muhammed Take Doubles Title at Classic
Saturday saw the doubles finalize another chapter in The USTA Tennis Classic of Troy as unseeded Madison Brengle and Asia Muhammed took the 2010 title.
The final pairing in the singles bracket was also set as the final four saw action on Saturday.
Brengle and Muhammed took to the court in dominant fashion as they defeated the fourth-seeded duo of Alina Jidkova and Laura Siegemund.
Brengle has advanced to the finals on the singles side at The Classic before, and the doubles title for her is her first at the tournament. Prior to the championship on Saturday she had advanced to a doubles final in the $75,000 event in Vancouver and in the $25,000 event in Osprey, Florida
Muhammed experienced great success at the junior level where she was a top ten contender. She along with Brengle reached the doubles in the Osprey tournament as partners, and they have kept the chemistry of the partnership alive with a championship at Troy.
The singles title makes for an interesting match as second-seeded Rebecca Marino puts her 14-match win streak on the line one more time. Marino enters the championship match after winning her last two events, and a win on Sunday would put her at three consecutive titles.
Marino knocked off Irina Falconi 7-6 (6), 6-7 (3), 6-2, and her competitor on Sunday in Ashley Weinhold defeated Alexis King 6-7 (5), 6-0, 6-1.
Both athletes coming off of three set victories should make for an interesting title match as they had to earn positioning into the finale.
The championship match is set for 1 pm on Sunday at the Lunsford Tennis Complex in Troy. Admission to The Classic is free.
Marino Hunts Third Straight Title
Entering into the singles field at The USTA Tennis Classic of Troy, Rebecca Marino had the confidence of back-to-back tournament victories on her side. The confidence continued to grow through the week as she worked her way towards another title match.
Marino won her 14th consecutive match on Saturday in the semifinals of The Classic, and she will face Ashley Weinhold for the title on Sunday.
“I just want to be able to play the ball and not her on Sunday,” Marino said.
The 19-year-old Canadian is in the hunt for a top-100 ranking, and a win on Saturday puts her closer to achieving her goal of a main draw entry at the Australian Open.
“Typically I would need to be in the top 100 to get in,” Marino said. “That's been my goal this year, getting my ranking higher.”
Marino has had great experiences on the court. In the US Open, she faced Venus Williams, and she said the experience of playing at a high level was great for her as that is where she wants to be.
“It was great for me to play at that level,” Marino said. “I wanted to get a feel for it because I thought it would probably be different than the circuit. It was good to know that I could play well at that level.”
Confidence can go miles for Marino as she makes strides towards her goal of playing regularly at the highest level of tennis.
Sunday gives her another opportunity to advance towards that goal.
