FREDERICKSBURG, VA –
Sahana Madala and
Claire Loftus became the third straight Blue Jay doubles team to win the ITA Southeast Regional title. The duo beat teammates
Lia Melvin and
Jay Xiao in the championship match. In addition, Melvin advanced to the semifinals in the championship singles draw and
Kamila Wong and
Ava Li made the semis in the championship doubles draw.
Madala and Loftus, seeded ninth in the draw, had a first-round bye and then pulled out an 8-7 (3) win over Kathleen Shiffer and Paola Almead (SC). The duo then beat fifth-seeded Kylie Schaefer and Lindsey Bergelin (CNU), 8-3, to advance to the quarterfinals.
Madala and Loftus won 8-4 over third-seeded Ancele Dolensek and Divya Venkatarama (CMU) to move into the semifinals. There they beat their teammates, Wong and Li, the top seed in the draw, 8-4. Madala and Loftus then earned the title and a spot in next month's ITA Cup with a 7-6 (2), 6-3 win over another set of teammates – Xiao and Melvin, seeded second in the draw.
The ITA Cup is scheduled for October 16-19 at the Rome Tennis Center in Rome, GA. Madala and Loftus earn All-America honors with their win. Xiao and Melvin also earn a spot in the ITA Cup as finalists in doubles.
Wong and Li opened the tournament with an 8-3 win over Cleopatra Solomon and Gibelle Beaujon (SU) in the round of 32. The pair then won 8-1 over Victoria Gazda and Anika Joshi (CMU) to advance to the quarterfinals. Wong and Li beat ninth-seeded Jane Ling Chun Wong and Anna Chow (CMU), 8-4. Their run ended in the semifinals to Madala and Loftus.
Xiao and Melvin kicked off their run to the finals with an 8-4 win over Natalie Untermeyer and Sahara Ahmad (FMC). They followed that with an 8-4 win over Allison Hsieh and Rachel Li (CMU). In the quarterfinals, Xiao and Melvin beat fifth-seeded Grace Lorenz and Sarah Donnelly (WLU), 8-3. The Blue Jay duo then took down another five seed, Shelly Zinchenko and Ika Raju Kanumuri (CMU), 8-4, to advance to the title match.
Sahana Sanjeev and
Aubrey Zhou beat Sophia Dadley and Scarlett Gamez (CNU), 6-2, in the opening round. The pair then fell to Wong and Chow, 8-5.
Sophia Kim and
Sydney Langer, seeded ninth in the draw, had a first-round bye. The pair then withdrew from their round of 32 match due to illness.
In the singles draw, Melvin advanced to the semifinals before withdrawing. Seeded eighth in the draw, she opened with an 8-3 win over Beaujon and then defeated Sophia Rhazali 6-0, 6-2 to advance to the round of 16. Melvin won 6-2, 6-2 over ninth-seeded Erin Li (SC) and then beat Kendal Chang (CNU) 6-2, 6-2 to earn a spot in the semifinals.
Xiao, seeded second in the draw, did not drop a game in their opening round win over Tuva Flink (VWU). They then won 6-0, 6-2 over Annie Jennings (WLU). Xiao followed that with a 6-3, 6-3 in the round of 16 over Gazda. Their run ended in the quarterfinals with a 7-5, 6-4 loss to Wong. Sanjeev, seeded eighth, won her first match 8-0 over Natalia Navarro Ramirez (GC). She lost a tough three-setter to Lola Diaz (SC) 6-1, 3-6, 1-0 (9).
Li, seeded fourth in the draw opened the weekend with a shutout win over Shiffer. She then lost just one game (6-0, 6-1) in her win over Natasha Sharnoff (DC). Li retired in the second set of her round of 16 match versus Venkatarama 6-3, 4-5. Seeded ninth, Madala lost her opening match to Kanumuri 8-3. Loftus, also seeded ninth, opened with an 8-1 win over Natalie Howell (UMW). She then beat Mallika Reddy (HC) 6-1, 6-0 before falling in three sets to Chang 5-7, 6-2, 1-0 (7).
Zhou advanced to the semifinals of the B1 singles draw. She opened the weekend with an 8-5 win over Jackie Daynovsky (WLU) in the round of 16. She then beat Manuela Van Cottham (CMU), 8-4. Zhou lost in the semifinals to Hsieh 8-2.
Meanwhile, Hopkins also had two players competing at the Navy Blue & Gold Invitational.
Karah Li lost her first-round match in the B flight to Solange Skeene (GWU) 6-3, 6-2. She then lost to Elif Albayrak (UNCW), 8-4, in the consolation quarterfinals.
Isabel He dropped a three-setter to Sydney Fuger (Navy) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (2) in the opening round. In the consolation draw, He beat Karen Verduzco (GWU), 8-4, and then fell to Dana Hall (HU), 8-6. In doubles, Li and He had a first-round bye in the B Flight. The pair then lost to Olivia Corcoran and Jenna Stevens (VU), 6-0.
