My Interview with Henry Craig; Pepperdine Ousts Host Georgia in Women's D-I Sweet 16; Woodruff Promoted at Tennessee; Arconada and Riffice Reach Pro Circuit Semifinals

While I was in Ojai last month I had an opportunity to interview Men's Open champion Henry Craig on his transition from college tennis to professional tennis for this article at the Tennis Recruiting Network. We talked about how college prepared him for the next level and how long he will give himself to break through before putting his business degree to use.

I'll get to the NCAA Division I women's Sweet 16 matches today in a minute, but there's other news, including today's announcement that Chris Woodruff will take over as the men's head tennis coach at the University of Tennessee. Woodruff, who has served as assistant/associate coach in Knoxville since 2004, takes over for Sam Winterbotham, who was let go earlier this month.  Woodruff, the NCAA singles champion in 1993 while a sophomore at Tennessee, was passed over for the job when Winterbotham was hired in 2006, but he stayed on and will now have a chance to guide the program with that much more experience.  For more on Woodruff's hiring, see this article from the Knoxville News Sentinel.

In Pro Circuit news, 18-year-old Usue Arconada reached the semifinals of the $25,000 Women's Pro Circuit event in Naples Florida. The No. 4 seed won her third consecutive match in straight sets, beating No. 7 seed Lauren Albanese 6-1, 6-3.  She will face top seed Taylor Townsend next.  The other semifinal features No. 2 seed Sofya Zhuk of Russia against No. 3 seed Michelle Larcher de Brito of Portugal.

Sam Riffice, also 18, has reached the semifinals of the $15,000 Futures in Romania, with the qualifier defeating No. 6 Petru-Alexandru Luncanu of Romania 6-0, 7-5 today.  Riffice, who recently reached the final of the Vero Beach Florida Futures, will play top seed Yannik Mertens of Belgium in the semifinals.  Mertens beat qualifier Gianni Ross 2-6, 6-3, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.  Both Riffice and Ross are scheduled to play in next week's ITF Grade A in Milan Italy, where qualifying begins on Saturday.

Pepperdine's Luisa Stefani readies herself for the celebration

As was the case yesterday in the Division I men's Sweet 16, the women's Sweet 16 also featured two 4-3 matches, but unfortunately for the Georgia fans, this time the home team came out on the wrong end of that score.  Pepperdine, the No. 12 seed, took the doubles point from the No. 5 seeds, and in singles three straight-set matches went to the Bulldogs, and two straight-set matches went to the Waves.  That left the outcome to be decided at line 1, the only match to go three sets, with Luisa Stefani defeating Ellen Perez 6-7(8), 6-2, 6-2 to clinch.
The third set saw five consecutive breaks of serve to start, but Stefani was able to get two holds and she served well in the final game to send the Georgia crowd home disappointed.

Pepperdine will play No. 4 seed Vanderbilt, a 4-1 winner over Cal, in the quarterfinals.

The other 4-3 match went to 2016 finalist Oklahoma State. The No. 9 seeds defeated No. 8 seeds Georgia Tech after dropping the doubles point but taking singles matches at lines 1, 2, 3 and 6.  The match came down to Georgia Tech's Paige Horigan and Oklahoma State's Aliona Bolsova. Horigan got back on serve after trailing 4-2 in the third set, but Bolsova won two deuce points in the next two games to take the match 7-5, 1-6, 6-3.  Oklahoma State will face top seed Florida, who beat Texas A&M, the only unseeded team in the women's Sweet 16, 4-0.

In the early matches, No. 7 seed Stanford defeated No. 10 seed Michigan 4-1 and No. 2 seed North Carolina rolled past No. 15 seed Duke 4-0, with the Cardinal and Tar Heels set to meet Sunday in the quarterfinals.  The noon matches saw No. 3 seed Ohio State defeat No. 14 seed South Carolina 4-1 and No. 6 seed Texas Tech come back from losing the doubles point to take out Auburn 4-2.  It's the first visit to the quarterfinals for Texas Tech in the program's history.

Below are the women's results from today. A recap of the match can be found by clicking on the bold score line.  See Georgiadogs.com for more on each match, including quotes.

#4 NORTH CAROLINA (33-2) 4, #15 DUKE (22-6) 0

Doubles
1. #4 Jessie Aney/Hayley Carter (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #42 Kaitlyn McCarthy/Meible Chi (DUKE), 6-2
2. Cassandra Vazquez/Alexa Graham (NORTH CAROLIINA) vs. Alyssa Smith/Chalena Scholl (DUKE), 5-3, uf
3. Sara Daavettila/Makenna Jones (NORTH CAROLINA) def. Samantha Harris/Ellyse Hamlin (DUKE), 6-1
Singles
1. #2 Hayley Carter (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #80 Samantha Harris (DUKE), 6-0, 6-3
2. #18 Sara Daavettila (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #43 Mebile Chi (DUKE), 6-2, 6-1
3. #35 Jessie Aney (NORTH CAROLINA) def. #55 Chalena Scholl (DUKE), 6-4, 6-4
4. #99 Kaitlyn McCarthy (DUKE) vs. #74 Alexa Graham (NORTH CAROLINA), 7-5, 4-1, DNF
5. Alyssa Smith (DUKE) vs. #100 Makenna Jones (NORTH CAROLINA), 6-4, 2-3, DNF
6. Ellyse Hamlin (DUKE) vs.Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (NORTH CAROLINA), 7-6, 2-2, DNF
Doubles (3,1,2) Singles (1,2,3)
=========================================

#6 STANFORD (24-2) 4, #10 MICHIGAN (23-6) 1

Doubles
1. #39 Emily Arbuthnott/Taylor Davidson (STANFORD) def. #9 Kate Fahey/Alex Najarian (MICHIGAN), 6-1
2. Chiara Lommer/Brienne Minor (MICHIGAN) vs. #46 Caroline Doyle/Melissa Lord (STANFORD), 3-2, DNF
3. Emma Higuchi/Caroline Lampl (STANFORD) def. Mira Ruder-Hook/Valeria Patiuk (MICHIGAN), 6-0

Singles
1. #26 Kate Fahey (MICHIGAN) def. #38 Caroline Doyle (STANFORD), 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
2. #28 Melissa Lord (STANFORD) vs. #24 Brienne Minor (MICHIGAN), 6-4, 5-7, 4-3, DNF
3. #54 Taylor Davidson (STANFORD) def. Alex Najarian (MICHIGAN), 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
4. Chiara Lommer (MICHIGAN) vs. #90 Caroline Lampl (STANFORD), 7-5, 6-6, DNF
5. Emily Arbuthnott (STANFORD) def. Mira Ruder-Hook (MICHIGAN), 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
6. #71 Emma Higuchi (STANFORD) def. Valeria Patiuk (MICHIGAN), 6-0, 6-2
Doubles (3,1) Singles (6,3,1,5)
==========================================

#2 OHIO STATE (31-2) 4, #14 SOUTH CAROLINA (20-9) 1

Doubles
1. #18 Francesca Di Lorenzo/Miho Kowase (OHIO STATE) def. #25 Hadley Berg/Paige Cline (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-1
2. Brigit Folland/Ingrid Gamarra Martins (SOUTH CAROLINA) def. Sandy Niehaus/Anna Sanford (OHIO STATE), 6-3
3. Gabriella De Santis/Ferny Angeles Paz (OHIO STATE) def. Rachel Rohrabacher/Caroline Dailey (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-3

Singles
1. #1 Francesca Di Lorenzo (OHIO STATE) def. #49 Ingrid Gamarra Martins (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-1, 6-1
2. #47 Mia Horvit (SOUTH CAROLINA) def. #67 Anna Sanford (OHIO STATE), 6-3, 6-2
3. #95 Gabriella De Santis (OHIO STATE) vs. Paige Cline (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-3, 4-5, DNF
4. #91 Miho Kowase (OHIO STATE) def. Silvia Chinellato (SOUTH CAROLINA), 7-5, 6-2
5. #112 Sandy Niehaus (OHIO STATE) def. Hadley Berg (SOUTH CAROLINA), 6-3, 6-0
6. Ferny Angeles Paz (OHIO STATE) vs. Brigit Folland (SOUTH CAROLINA), 7-6(6), 1-0, DNF
Doubles (1,2,3) Singles (5,1,2,4)
=========================================

#7 TEXAS TECH (27-4) 4, #11 AUBURN (25-11) 2

Doubles
1. #14 Alizee Michaud/Taylor Russo (AUBURN) def. #26 Sarah Dvorak/Sabrina Federici (TEXAS TECH), 6-3
2. #69 Felicity Maltby/Gabriela Talaba (TEXAS TECH) def. Andie Dikosavljevic/Alannah Griffin (AUBURN), 6-2
3. #64 Caroline Turner/Georgie Axon (AUBURN) def. Alex Valenstein/Alba Cortina-Pou (TEXAS TECH), 7-5

Singles
1. #9 Gabriela Talaba (TEXAS TECH) def. #17 Alizee Michaud (AUBURN), 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
2. #58 Felicity Maltby (TEXAS TECH) def. #29 Andie Dikosavljevic (AUBURN), 6-1, 6-0
3. Alex Valenstein (TEXAS TECH) vs. #115 Taylor Russo (AUBURN), 6-2, 4-6, 3-1, DNF
4. Sabrina Federici (TEXAS TECH) def. Georgie Axon (AUBURN), 7-5, 6-0
5. Alannah Griffin (AUBURN) def. Sarah Dvorak (TEXAS TECH), 6-3, 6-2
6. Katelyn Jackson (TEXAS TECH) def. Caroline Turner (AUBURN), 7-5, 6-2
Doubles (2,1,3) Singles (2,5,4,6,1)
==========================================

#12 PEPPERDINE (24-4) 4, #5 GEORGIA (19-6) 3

Doubles
1. #8 Christine Maddox/Mayar Sherif Ahmed (PEPPERDINE) def. #3 Ellen Perez/Caroline Brinson (GEORGIA), 6-4
2. #53 Luisa Stefani/Jean Runglerdkriangkrai (PEPPERDINE) def. #38 Elena Christofi/Kennedy Shaffer (GEORGIA), 6-4
3. Marta Gonzalez/Mariana Gould (GEORGIA) def. Ashley Lahey/Dzina Milovanovic (PEPPERDINE), 6-3

Singles
1. #14 Luisa Stefani (PEPPERDINE) def. #12 Ellen Perez (GEORGIA), 6-7(8), 6-2, 6-2
2. #19 Ashley Lahey (PEPPERDINE) def. #20 Elena Christofi (GEORGIA), 6-4, 6-0
3. #52 Kennedy Shaffer (GEORGIA) def. #37 Mayar Sherif Ahmed (PEPPERDINE), 6-2, 6-3
4. #66 Caroline Brinson (GEORGIA) def. #97 Laura Gulbe (PEPPERDINE), 6-2, 6-3
5. Jean Runglerdkriangkrai (PEPPERDINE) def. Marta Gonzalez (GEORGIA), 6-4, 6-3
6. Mariana Gould (GEORGIA) def. Dzina Milovanovic (PEPPERDINE), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles (1,3,2) Singles (2,3,5,6,4,1)
=========================================

#3 VANDERBILT (23-5) 4, #13 CALIFORNIA (19-6) 1

Doubles
1. #34 Maegan Manasse/Maya Jansen (CALIFORNIA) def. #1 Astra Sharma/Emily Smith (VANDERBILT), 6-4
2. Sydney Campbell/Emma Kurtz (VANDERBILT) def. #55 Olivia Hauger/Karla Popovic (CALIFORNIA), 7-5
3. Christina Rosca/Fernanda Contreras (VANDERBILT) def. Denise Starr/Maria Smith (CALIFORNIA), 6-3

Singles
1. #34 Maegan Manasse (CALIFORNIA) vs. #4 Astra Sharma (VANDERBILT), 6-4, 6-6, uf
2. #15 Sydney Campbell (VANDERBILT) def. #10 Karla Popovic (CALIFORNIA), 6-4, 6-1
3. #102 Christina Rosca (VANDERBILT) def. #123 Denise Starr (CALIFORNIA), 7-5, 6-1
4. Emma Kurtz (VANDERBILT) vs. Olivia Hauger (CALIFORNIA), 6-4, 4-3, DNF
5. Maya Jansen (CALIFORNIA) def. Georgina Sellyn (VANDERBILT), 6-4, 6-3
6. Fernanda Contreras (VANDERBILT) def. Maria Smith (CALIFORNIA), 6-3, 6-2
Doubles (1,3,2) Singles (5,6,2,3)
==========================================

#1 FLORIDA (26-3) 4, #20 TEXAS A&M (18-13) 0

Doubles
1. #11 Anna Danilina/Ingrid Neel (FLORIDA) def. #7 Rachel Pierson/Rutuja Bhosale (TEXAS A&M), 6-2
2. Eva Paalma/ Domencia Gonzalez (TEXAS A&M) def. #20 Brooke Austin/Kourtney Keegan (FLORIDA), 6-3
3. #45 Josie Kuhlman/Belina Woolcock (FLORIDA) def. Stefania Kristov/Saska Gavrilovska (TEXAS A&M), 7-6(1)

Singles
1. #6 Belinda Woolcock (FLORIDA) def. #16 Rachel Pierson (TEXAS A&M), 6-0, 6-4
2. #53 Rutuja Bhosale (TEXAS A&M) vs. #23 Josie Kuhlman (FLORIDA), 7-6(3), 2-1
3. #31 Ingrid Neel (FLORIDA) vs. Domencia Gonzalez (TEXAS A&M), 7-5, 1-6, DNF
4. #44 Anna Danilina (FLORIDA) def. Saska Gavrilovska (TEXAS A&M), 6-3, 6-0
5. Brooke Austin (FLORIDA) vs. Eva Paalma (TEXAS A&M), 7-5, 2-4, DNF
6. #59 Kourtney Keegan (FLORIDA) def. Macarena Olivares (TEXAS A&M), 6-3, 6-1
Doubles (1,2,3) Singles (4,1,6)
==========================================

#9 OKLAHOMA STATE (25-5) 4, #8 GEORGIA TECH (20-8) 3

Doubles
1. #29 Kenya Jones/Paige Hourigan (GEORGIA TECH) def. #13 Vladica Babic/Carla Tur Mari (OKLAHOMA STATE), 6-0
2. #23 Johnnise Renaud/ Rasheeda McAdoo (GEORGIA TECH) def. #48 Aliona Bolsova/Katie Stresnakova (OKLAHOMA STATE), 6-2
3. #70 Katarina Adamovic/Viktoriya Lushkova (OKLAHOMA STATE) vs. Luca Fabian/Nami Otsuka (GEORGIA TECH), 5-3, DNF

Singles
1. #8 Viktoriya Lushkova (OKLAHOMA STATE) def. #48 Rasheeda McAdoo (GEORGIA TECH), 6-0, 6-2
2. Katarina Adamovic (OKLAHOMA STATE) def. #36 Johnnise Renaud (GEORGIA TECH), 6-3, 6-3
3. #73 Aliona Bolsova (OKLAHOMA STATE) def. #96 Paige Hourigan (GEORGIA TECH), 7-5, 1-6, 6-3
4. Kenya Jones (GEORGIA TECH) def. #63 Vladica Babic (OKLAHOMA STATE), 6-2, 6-2
5. Nami Otsuka (GEORGIA TECH) def. Katarina Stresnakova (OKLAHOMA STATE), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
6. Lena Ruppert (OKLAHOMA STATE) def. Luca Fabian (GEORGIA TECH), 6-4, 6-2
Doubles (1,2) Singles (1,4,6,2,5,3)
===========================================

The men's quarterfinals are scheduled for Saturday.

Noon:
Ohio State[3] vs TCU[6]
Virginia[2] vs Texas[10]

4 pm:
Wake Forest[1] vs North Carolina[9]
UCLA[5] vs Georgia[13]

Live streaming is available on all courts at this link.