GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Furman senior Katarina Kozarov won a consolation semifinal Saturday at the Saint Francis Health System ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Okla., clinching an automatic entry into the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships slated for Nov. 6-10 in Newport Beach, Calif.
A native of Novi Sad, Serbia, Kozarov, who is ranked 46th nationally, came from behind on Saturday, winning 11 of the last 12 games, to beat No. 29 Valeriya Zeleva of UCF, 7-5, 6-1, in her semifinal match at the ITA All-Americans, which features the country's top NCAA Division I players. She will play Sunday at 11 a.m. in the consolation finals against an opponent that has yet to be determined.
On Friday, Kozarov claimed two victories, downing 20th-ranked Asuka Kawai of Illinois, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, and No. 82 Martina Cappuro of Oklahoma, 6-4, 6-4, to reach the semifinals. Earlier in the week, she defeated No. 32 Jessica Failla of Pepperdine, 7-6, 7-6, after falling to second-ranked Estela Perez-Somarriba, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5, in the opening round of the main draw.
Sophomore Julia Adams competed in singles and teamed with Kozarov in doubles. Adams defeated Alabama's Alba Cortina Pou, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, in the opening round of pre-qualifying singles but dropped a 3-6, 6-3, 6-1 match to No. 112 Tatiana Makarova of Texas A&M in the second round.
In doubles action, the Paladin duo, which ranks 35th nationally, earned a walk over in the first round of the qualifying doubles draw then beat Miranda Ramirez and Guzal Yusopova of Syracuse, 8-2, in the second round. An 8-1 victory over Oral Roberts' Ivana Babic and Oleksandra Nahurska punched Furman's ticket to the main draw, where Kozarov and Adams lost to 29th-ranked Jessie Gong and Samantha Martinelli of Yale, 8-5, and Wake Forest's Anna Brylin and Saby Nihalani, 8-4.
"This has been a big week for our program," said Furman head coach Adam Herendeen. "Katarina and Julia have played some great matches, and we aren't done yet. We played really well in the qualifying doubles draw. It is a big honor to be one of the top thirty doubles teams in the country. Every singles match we played here has been an absolute battle, and I am so proud of how our girls have fought and improved throughout the tournament."
