CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- The Furman women's tennis team concluded play Sunday at the ITA Carolinas Regional Championships at the Chewning Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. The tournament showcased the top women's tennis players from the states of North Carolina and South Carolina.
Junior Sara Snyder reached the round of 16 in the mail singles draw. She defeated Jessica Braun of Charleston Southern, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, in the opening round to advance.
Junior Grace Thomas and freshman Maeve Thornton advanced out of the qualifying singles draw to reach the main draw. Thomas beat Mckenzie Davis of Presbyterian, 6-3, 6-3, then topped Elon's Lizette Reding, 6-1, 6-3. Thornton came from behind for a 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory over UNCW's Elif Albayrak then downed Kavya Patel of Davidson, 6-4, 6-1.
Thornton went on to score two victories in the consolation singles draw, demolishing Coastal Carolina's Anna Babyan, 6-0, 6-2, and holding off Emma Heiderscheit of Davidson, 6-2, 7-6(4). She earned a bye in the semifinals before dropping a 4-6, 6-2, 10-6 decision to Elise Mills of South Carolina in the finals. Junior Ellie Schulson also recorded two consolation draw wins to reach the semifinals. She beat Hind Semlali of S.C. State, 6-4, 3-1, when Semlali retired, then defeated Charleston Southern's Amila Jusufbegovic, 6-3, 6-3.
The tournament featured a round of additional singles matches, where junior Alexa Griffith defeated UNCW's Alicia Eberwein, 4-6, 6-2, 10-6, and freshman Macy Hitchcock beat Clemson's Leigh Van Zyl, 6-1, 3-6, 10-6.
In doubles action, the Paladins recorded three victories. Hitchcock and Schulson teamed up for an 8-6 advantage over Davidson's Heiderscheit and Patel (Davidson). Snyder and Thornton combined for two wins, defeating Siegel and Steenkamp of UNC Asheville, 8-7(2), then handing Mitrache and Foldeak of Coastal Carolina an 8-2 loss.
Furman will compete at the Auburn Invitational, Nov. 3-5, in Auburn, Ala.
ITA Carolinas Regional Championships
Qualifying Singles Draw
Rd 64 Maeve Thornton (Furman) def. Elif Albayrak (UNCW), 2-6, 6-2, 6-0
Rd 32 Maeve Thornton (Furman) def. Kavya Patel (Davidson), 6-4, 6-1
Rd 64 Grace Thomas (Furman) def. Mckenzie Davis (PC), 6-3, 6-3
Rd 32 Grace Thomas (Furman) def. Lizette Reding (Elon), 6-1, 6-3
Rd 64 Ares Teixido Garcia (Charlotte) def. Macy Hitchcock (Furman), 6-1, 6-3
Main Singles Draw
Rd 32 A1 Sara Snyder (Furman) def. Jessica Braun (Charleston So.), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4
Rd 16 A1 Katie Codd (Duke) def. Sara Snyder (Furman), 5-7, 6-0, 6-2
Rd 32 A1 Alina Tsyurpalevych (Clemson) def. Grace Thomas (Furman), 7-5, 6-3
Rd 32 A2 Shahar Biran (USC) def. Maeve Thornton (Furman), 6-2, 6-0
Rd 32 A2 Lizette Reding (Elon) def. Ellie Schulson (Furman), 6-3, 6-4
Consolation Singles Draw
Rd 32 Q Leilany Ipunesso (Western Carolina) def. Macy Hitchcock (Furman), 6-4, 7-5
Rd 16 Maeve Thornton (Furman) def. Anna Babayan (Coastal Carolina), 6-0, 6-2
Rd 16 Ellie Schulson (Furman) def. Hind Semlali (S.C. State), 6-4, 3-1 retired
Rd 16 Martina Muzzolon (East Carolina) def. Grace Thomas (Furman), 4-6, 6-2, 10-7
Rd 8 Maeve Thornton (Furman) def. Emma Heiderscheit (Davidson), 6-2, 7-6(4)
Rd 8 Ellie Schulson (Furman) def. Amila Jusufbegovic (Charleston So.), 6-3, 6-3
Rd 4 Elise Mills (USC) def. Ellie Schulson (Furman), 3-6, 6-2, 10-7
Rd 2 Elise Mills (USC) def. Maeve Thornton (Furman), 6-4, 2-6, 10-6
Additional Singles Matches
Alexa Griffith (Furman) def. Alicia Eberwein (UNCW), 4-6, 6-2, 10-6
Macy Hitchcock (Furman) def. Leigh Van Zyl (Clemson), 6-1, 3-6, 10-6
Doubles Main Draw
Rd 32 A1 Hitchcock/Schulson (Furman) def. Heiderscheit/Patel (Davidson), 8-6
Rd 16 A1 Mayorova/Van Zyl (Clemson) def. Hitchcock/Schulson (Furman), 8-4
Rd 32 A2 Snyder/Thornton (Furman) def. Siegel/Steenkamp (UNC Asheville), 8-7(2)
Rd 16 A2 Snyder/Thornton (Furman) def. Mitrache/Foldeak (Coastal Carolina), 8-2
Rd 8 A2 Ahmad/Gownder (Wake Forest) def. Snyder/Thornton (Furman), 8-5
Rd 32 A2 Gomez/Glickstein (UNCW) def. Thomas/Griffith (Furman), 8-4
