University of North Texas Athletics
Photo by: Mark Woods
Doubles Teams Advance At Texas Regionals
10/18/2019 3:07:00 AM | Women's Tennis
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The North Texas tennis team completed the first day of the ITA Texas Regional with a 7-7 record in singles and 2-2 record in doubles.
The Mean Green, who are the defending doubles champions, got first round wins from Maria Ponomareva/ Nidhi Surapaneni and Alexandra Heczey/ Hala Khaled Badwy.
Ponomareva and Surapaneni beat a Houston team 8-2 and will face a familiar foe in the second round on Friday. They will take on a Rice doubles team who is the No. 9 overall seed and earned a first round bye. Heczey and Khaled Badwy will take on a Texas doubles team on Friday after they beat an ACU team 8-5 on Thursday.
The Longhorns doubles team is the No. 5 overall seed.
"Our top two teams played extremely well in doubles," said head coach Sujay Lama. "Their chemistry is terrific. They have great opportunities tomorrow."
In singles, the day was highlighted by freshman Sophia Hummel knocking off Texas' Gabby Cusano in the first round, 6-1, 6-0.
Following Hummel's win, Ponomareva — the No. 28 seed in the singles draw — won her first round match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, over a UTSA opponent. Then Haruka Sasaki won her first round singles match, 6-0, 6-2 and Khaled Badwy beat her Incarnate Word opponent in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
However, after the great start in the first round, all four lost in the second round. While they competed in the second round, Heczey, Surapaneni and Kexuan Zhou advanced to the second round of the consolation bracket with wins.
They'll play their second round matches Friday afternoon.
"There was a lot of positives today," Lama said. "Everyone competed hard and showed tremendous improvement. This is a young team that is hungry to improve with each match. We cannot wait to be back at It tomorrow."
RESULTS
DOUBLES First Round
Ponomareva/ Surapaneni (UNT) def. Belovukovic/Kendall-Woseley (UH); 8-2
Heczey/ Khaled Badwy (UNT) def. Adams/ Memishishi (ACU); 8-5
Stewart/ Viljoen (ACU) def. Hummel/Sasaki (UNT); 8-7(9)
Polk/Guevara (TCU) def. Junghanns/Zhou (UNT); 8-1
Singles First Round
EL Jardi (Rice) def. Zhou (UNT); 6-2, 6-1
Hummel (UNT) def. Cusano (Texas); 6-1, 6-0
Khadled Badwy (UNT) def. Landaluce (IWU); 6-2, 6-1
Bartolome (SMU) def. Heczey (UNT); 6-4, 6-1
Sasaki (UNT) def. Thal (UTRGV); 6-0, 6-2
Ponomareva (UNT) def. Kato (UTSA); 6-1, 6-3
Monarrez (SMU) def. Surapaneni (UNT): 3-6, 6-7(6), 6-1
Singles Second Round
Horiguchi (UTA) def. Ponomareva (UNT);7-6(4), 6-2
Perez-mur(UT) def. Sasaki(UNT); 6-1, 6-0
Miller (TTU) def. Khaled Badwy (UNT): 6-1, 6-3
Anzo (TAMU) def. Hummel (UNT) def. 7-5, 6-2
Singles Consolation
Zhou(UNT) def. Rakitskaya: 6-3, 6-0
Heczey(UNT) def. Pons-Martoreli; 6-3, 6-2
Surapaneni(UNT) def. Starr; 6-3, 5-7, 10/6
The Mean Green, who are the defending doubles champions, got first round wins from Maria Ponomareva/ Nidhi Surapaneni and Alexandra Heczey/ Hala Khaled Badwy.
Ponomareva and Surapaneni beat a Houston team 8-2 and will face a familiar foe in the second round on Friday. They will take on a Rice doubles team who is the No. 9 overall seed and earned a first round bye. Heczey and Khaled Badwy will take on a Texas doubles team on Friday after they beat an ACU team 8-5 on Thursday.
The Longhorns doubles team is the No. 5 overall seed.
"Our top two teams played extremely well in doubles," said head coach Sujay Lama. "Their chemistry is terrific. They have great opportunities tomorrow."
In singles, the day was highlighted by freshman Sophia Hummel knocking off Texas' Gabby Cusano in the first round, 6-1, 6-0.
Following Hummel's win, Ponomareva — the No. 28 seed in the singles draw — won her first round match in straight sets, 6-1, 6-3, over a UTSA opponent. Then Haruka Sasaki won her first round singles match, 6-0, 6-2 and Khaled Badwy beat her Incarnate Word opponent in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1.
However, after the great start in the first round, all four lost in the second round. While they competed in the second round, Heczey, Surapaneni and Kexuan Zhou advanced to the second round of the consolation bracket with wins.
They'll play their second round matches Friday afternoon.
"There was a lot of positives today," Lama said. "Everyone competed hard and showed tremendous improvement. This is a young team that is hungry to improve with each match. We cannot wait to be back at It tomorrow."
RESULTS
DOUBLES First Round
Ponomareva/ Surapaneni (UNT) def. Belovukovic/Kendall-Woseley (UH); 8-2
Heczey/ Khaled Badwy (UNT) def. Adams/ Memishishi (ACU); 8-5
Stewart/ Viljoen (ACU) def. Hummel/Sasaki (UNT); 8-7(9)
Polk/Guevara (TCU) def. Junghanns/Zhou (UNT); 8-1
Singles First Round
EL Jardi (Rice) def. Zhou (UNT); 6-2, 6-1
Hummel (UNT) def. Cusano (Texas); 6-1, 6-0
Khadled Badwy (UNT) def. Landaluce (IWU); 6-2, 6-1
Bartolome (SMU) def. Heczey (UNT); 6-4, 6-1
Sasaki (UNT) def. Thal (UTRGV); 6-0, 6-2
Ponomareva (UNT) def. Kato (UTSA); 6-1, 6-3
Monarrez (SMU) def. Surapaneni (UNT): 3-6, 6-7(6), 6-1
Singles Second Round
Horiguchi (UTA) def. Ponomareva (UNT);7-6(4), 6-2
Perez-mur(UT) def. Sasaki(UNT); 6-1, 6-0
Miller (TTU) def. Khaled Badwy (UNT): 6-1, 6-3
Anzo (TAMU) def. Hummel (UNT) def. 7-5, 6-2
Singles Consolation
Zhou(UNT) def. Rakitskaya: 6-3, 6-0
Heczey(UNT) def. Pons-Martoreli; 6-3, 6-2
Surapaneni(UNT) def. Starr; 6-3, 5-7, 10/6
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
Friday, May 15
Monday, May 11
Saturday, April 18
Wednesday, April 15