LAS VEGAS, Nev. - In a weather delayed Thursday at the five-day 2012 USTA/Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Mountain Region Championships, the University of Colorado women's tennis team did not fare well in main doubles play falling in both Round of 32 matches.
After successfully advancing in the Round of 64 with victories on Wednesday, CU's Ashley Tiefel and Mazy Watrous lost a heartbreaking 9-8 decision to top seed Veronica Popovici and Simona Synkova of Wyoming. The Cowgirls are also ranked No. 21 nationally by the ITA.
In CU's other doubles match, Winde Janssens and Julyette Steur lost to number seventh seed Desiree Tran and Meghan Sheehan-Dizon from BYU, 8-5.
This is the third consecutive year that the ITA women's event will be hosted by Las Vegas at the Fertitta Tennis Complex on the UNLV campus. More than 120 women's collegiate tennis players from 20 western teams will face off as individuals from Wednesday through Sunday on 12 courts each day in both singles and doubles.
Rain set the tone on Thursday as it did on Wednesday forcing one round of singles and one round of doubles. Thursday's play at UNLV only saw one round of doubles.
In a review of Wednesday's rain-soaked play, the Buffaloes claimed a pair of singles wins in five matches in the Round of 128 with junior Winde Janssens and freshman Julyette Steur advancing to the Round of 64.
Janssens won her first singles match in six attempts this fall with a 6-2, 6-1 winner over Natasha Rizvi (Air Force). It was also Janssens' 25th career singles win. Steur recorded her third win of the fall season in four tries with a straight set winner over Manuela Pietzuch of Boise State. Steur, who played her first three singles matches in three sets coasted to a 6-2, 6-2 win.
Falling in their respective singles matches, but continuing on in consolation play on Thursday were senior Erin Sanders, junior Carla Manzi Tenorio, sophomore Ashley Tiefel, and freshman Mazy Watrous.
This will be one of 24 USTA/ITA Regional Championships for NCAA Division I men and women taking place over these middle two weekends of October at campuses throughout the country. The singles and doubles champions from the regionals will advance to the 2012 USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, taking place November 8-11, at the indoor facilities at the USTA-Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
TEAMS SENDING COMPETITORS
Air Force (AFA), Boise State (BSU), Brigham Young (BYU), Colorado (CU), Colorado State (CSU), Denver (DU), Idaho (ID), Idaho State (ISU), Montana (MT), Montana State (MSU), Nevada, Reno (UNR), New Mexico (UNM), New Mexico State (NMSU), Northern Arizona (NAU), Northern Colorado (UNC), UNLV (UNLV), Utah (UU), Utah State (USU), Weber State (WSU), Wyoming (WYO).
Singles Main Draw (Round of 128)
Wednesday, Oct. 10, Las Vegas, Nev.
Winde Janssens (CU) def. Natasha Rizvi (Air Force) 6-2, 6-1
Julyette Steur (CU) def. Manuela Pietzuch (Boise State) 6-2, 6-2
Callie Craig (Utah) def. Carla Manzi Tenorio (CU) 6-0, 6-3
(2 seed/#89) Aleksandra Josifoska (UNLV) def. Erin Sanders (CU) 6-0, 6-1
Stephanie Catlin (Northern Colorado) def. Mazy Watrous (CU) 6-4, 6-3
Mandy Van Der Eerenbeemt (Denver) def. Ashley Tiefel (CU) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles (Round of 32) - Thursday, Oct. 11
Popovici/Synkova (1) (WYO) def. Tiefel/Watrous (CU) 9-8
Tran/Sheehan-Dizon (7) (BYU) def. Janssens/Steur (CU) 8-5
Doubles (Round of 64) - Wednesday, Oct. 10
Tiefel/Watrous (CU) vs. Boekmann/Tegtmeir (Idaho State) 8-4
Davis/West (Utah State) def. Manzi Tenorio/Erin Sanders (CU) 8-2
Janssens/Steur (CU) def. Richardson/Eggleston (New Mexico) 8-3
