One Big Upset in First Day of Super Regionals, with Texas A&M Women Ousting Defending Champion North Carolina; Teens Urhobo and Jovic Advance to Semifinals at Zephyrhills W75

All the excitement during the first day of NCAA Division I Super Regionals came at the end, when No. 13 Seed Texas A&M went into Chapel Hill and defeated No. 4 seed and defending champion North Carolina 4-1.  In a match that finished after 10:30 p.m. due to a 90-minute plus rain delay that began only a few games into the doubles point, the Aggies won that doubles point in a tiebreaker, then swept the top three singles matches. 

North Carolina got its only point from freshman Thea Rabman at line 6, who tied the match at 1, but Carson Branstine put Texas A&M in front with a 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 win over Fiona Crawley at line 2. That was the first of the four three-set matches to finish, as North Carolina continued to battle, but Nicole Khirin's 6-1, 5-7, 6-2 win over Carson Tanguilig at line 3 made it 3-1, with Texas A&M's Mary Stoiana and Elizabeth Scotty in the midst of a second-set tiebreaker, with Stoiana having taken the first set 6-4 after trailing 4-1. Scotty had set points at 6-4 and 7-6 in the tiebreaker to force a third, but Stoiana stayed solid and aggressive, saved them all and won the last three points to close out the win. According to John Parsons of No-ad No-problem, it is the first loss at home for the Tar Heels since 2018, and continues the streak of no first-time NCAA champion ever defending its title.

The seven matches earlier in the day all featured extremely competitive doubles points, but after taking those, the favorites/hosts all advanced with surprising little drama. Just two quarterfinals are set after today's action, with the No. 3 seed Virginia men taking on No. 6 seed Wake Forest next Thursday and No. 2 Stanford set to battle with No. 7 Georgia Friday in Stillwater Oklahoma.

Super Regional Results, Friday May 10

WOMEN:

UCLA[8] d. Texas[9] 4-1

Doubles:

1. Tian Fangran and Elise Wagle(UCLA) d. Taisiya Pachkaleva and Sabina Zeynaolova(TEX) 6-2

2. Kimmi Hance and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer(UCLA) d. Malaika Rapolu and Tanya Sasnouskaya(TEX) 7-6(5)

3. Charlotte Chavatipon and Vivian Ovrootsky(TEX) d. Ahmani Guichard and Sasha Vagramov(UCLA) 6-3

Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles:

1. Tian Fangran(UCLA) d. Sabina Zeynalova(TEX) 6-2, 6-4

2. Kimmi Hance(UCLA) v Malaika Rapolu(TEX) 6-2, 6-6, unfinished

3. Bianca Fernandez(UCLA) d. Charlotte Chavatipon(TEX) 7-6, 6-4

4. Tanya Sasnouskaya(TEX) d. Elise Wagle(UCLA) 7-5, 6-2 

5. Taisiya Pachkaleva(TEX) v Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer(UCLA)  6-3, 6-6 unfinished 

6. Ahmani Guichard(UCLA) d. Vivian Ovrootsky(TEX) 6-0, 4-6, 6-4

Order of finish: 4, 1, 3, 6

Georgia[7] d. Cal[10] 4-2

Doubles:

1. Mert Aysegul and Dasha Vidmanova(UGA) d. Jessica Alsola and Valentina Ivanov(CAL) 7-6(5)

2. Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn(UGA) d. Hannah Viller Moeller and Mao Mishika(CAL) 6-2

3. Berta Passola Folch and Katja Wiersholm(CAL) d. Anastasiia Lopata and Mell Reasco(UGA) 6-3

Order of finish: 2, 3, 1

Singles:

1. Dasha Vidmanova(UGA) d. Valentina Ivanov(CAL) 6-2, 6-3

2. Alexandra Vecic(UGA) v Hannah Viller Moelller(CAL) 6-2, 6-6, unfinished

3. Mell Reasco(UGA) d. Katja Wiersholm(CAL) 7-5, 6-4

4. Jessica Alsola(CAL) d. Anastasiia Lopata(UGA) 6-1, 7-5

5. Guillermina Grant(UGA) d. Mao Mushika(CAL) 6-3, 6-4

6. Berta Passola Folch(CAL) d. Mai Nirundorn(UGA) 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 

Order of finish: 1, 5, 4, 6, 3

Pepperdine[6] d. Southern California[11} 4-0

Doubles:

1. Eryn Cayetano and Lily Fairclough(USC) d. Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen(PEPP) 6-3

2. Nikki Redelijk and Vivian Yang(PEPP) d. Grace Piper and Parker Fry(USC) 6-4

3. Anna Campana and Lisa Zaar(PEPP) d. Emma Charney and Snow Han(USC) 7-6(6)

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles:

1. Lisa Zaar(PEPP) d. Snow Han(USC) 6-1, 6-3

2. Janice Tjen(PEPP) v Emma Charney(USC) 6-4, 3-3, unfinished

3. Savannah Broadus(PEPP) d. Eryn Cayetano(USC) 6-0, 7-5

4. Anna Campana(PEPP) v Grace Piper(USC) 6-4, 2-6, unfinished

5. Nikki Redelijk(PEPP) v Immi Haddad(USC) 6-3, 4-2, unfinished

6. Vivian Yang(PEPP) d. McKenna Koenig(USC) 6-2, 6-0

Order of finish: 6, 1, 3

Stanford[2] d. North Carolina State[15] 4-0

Doubles:

1. Amelia Rajecki and Maddy Zampardo(NCST) d. Connie Ma and Alexandra Yepifanova(STAN) 6-3

2. Angelica Blake and Alexis Blokhina(STAN) d. Sophie Abrams and Anna Zyryanova(NCST) 6-3

3. Katherine Hui and Valencia Xu(STAN) d. Gina Dittmann and Abigail Rencheli(NCST) 6-4

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles:

1. Angelica Blake(STAN) d. Amelia Rajecki(NCST) 6-3, 6-3

2. Connie Ma(STAN) d. Abigail Rencheli(NCST) 6-1, 6-4

3. Alexandra Yepifanova(STAN) d. Anna Zyryanova(NCST) 6-1, 7-5

4. Alexis Blokhina(STAN) v. Gina Dittmann(NCST) 6-4, 3-6, unfinished

5. Katherine Hui(STAN) v Maddy Zampardo(NCST) 6-4, 3-2, unfinished

5. Valencia Xu(STAN) v Sophie Abrams(NCST) 6-4, 5-1, unfinished

Order of finish: 3, 2, 1

Texas A&M[13] d. North Carolina[4] 4-1

Doubles:

1. Mary Stoiana and Mia Kupres(TAMU) d. Fiona Crawley and Carson Tanguilig(UNC) 7-6(4)

2. Elizabeth Scotty and Anika Yarlagadda(UNC) d. Carson Branstine and Lucciana Perez(TAMU) 6-4

3. Nicole Khirin and Jeanette Mireles(TAMU) d. Abbey Forbes and Reilly Tran(UNC) 6-4

Order of finish: 2, 3, 1

Singles:

1. Mary Stoiano(TAMU) d. Elizabeth Scotty(UNC) 6-4, 7-6(7)

2. Carson Branstine(TAMU) d. Fiona Crawley(UNC) 2-6, 6-0, 6-2 

3. Nicole Khirin(TAMU) d. Carson Tanguilig(UNC) 6-1, 5-7, 6-2

4. Reilly Tran(UNC) v Mia Kupres(TAMU) 5-7, 6-3, 3-1, unfinished

5. Lucciana Perez(TAMU) v. Anika Yarlagadda(UNC) 6-7(5), 6-3, 2-1, unfinished

6. Thea Rabman(UNC) d. Jeanette Mireles(TAMU) 6-3, 6-1

Order of finish: 6, 2, 3, 1

MEN:

Virginia[3] d. South Carolina 4-1

Doubles:

1. Chris Rodesch and Jeffrey von der Schulenburg(UVA) d. Toby Samuel and James Story(SCAR) 6-4

2. Jelani Sarr and Lucas da Silva(SCAR) d. James Hopper and Eduardo Graziani(UVA) 6-4

3. Sean Daryabeigi and Casey Hoole(SCAR) d. Alex Kiefer and Dylan Dietrich(UVA) 6-1

Order of finish: 1, 3, 2

Singles:

1. Chris Rodesch(UVA) v. Toby Samuel(SCAR) 6-3, 4-6, 3-3, unfinished

2. Inaki Montes(UVA) d.  Casey Hoole(SCAR) 6-3, 7-5

3. Dylan Dietrich(UVA) d. James Story(SCAR) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2

4. Jeffrey von der Schulenburg(UVA) d. Sean Daryabeigi(SCAR) 7-5, 6-3

5. Jelani Saar(SCAR) v Alex Kiefer(UVA) 7-5, 5-4, unfinished 

6. Mans Dahlberg(UVA) d. Lucas da Silva(SCAR) 6-1, 7-5

Order of finish: 6, 2, 3, 4

Wake Forest[6] d. Stanford 4-1

Doubles:

1. Holden Koons and DK Suresh(WF) d. Nico Godsick and Max Basing(STAN) 6-4

2. Nishesh Basavareddy and Samir Banerjee(STAN) d. Filippo Moroni and Matthew Thomson(WF) 6-1

3. Luca Pow and Luciano Tacchi(WF) d. Kyle Kang and Neel Rajesh(STAN) 6-3

Order of finish: 2, 3 ,1

Singles:

1. Nishesh Basavareddy(STAN) d. Filippo Moroni(WF) 7-5, 6-3 

2. DK Suresh(WF) d. Samir Banerjee(STAN) 2-6, 6-1, 6-4

3. Max Basing(STAN) v Matthew Thomson(WF) 6-3, 6-7, 2-1, unfinished

4. Lucian Tacchi(WF) d. Kyle Kang(STAN) 7-5, 7-5

5. Luca Pow(WF) d. Neel Rajesh(STAN) 7-5, 6-2

6. Nico Godsick(STAN) v Holden Koons(WF) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0, unfinished

 

Order of finish: 5, 2, 1, 4 

Texas[2] d. Texas A&M[15] 4-0

Doubles:

1. Eliot Spizzirri and Siem Woldeab(TEX) d. Giulio Perego and Togan Tokac(TAMU) 7-5

2. Lathan Skrobarcek and JC Roddick(TAMU) d. Pierre-Yves Bailly and Eshan Talluri(TEX) 7-6

3. Micah Braswell and Cleeve Harper(TEX) d. TIago Pires and Luke Casper(TAMU) 7-5

Order of finish: 1, 2, 3

Singles:

1. Eliot Spizzirri(TEX) v JC Roddick(TAMU) 7-5, 5-4, unfinished

2. Micah Braswell(TEX) d. Giulio Perego(TAMU) 6-3, 6-3

3. Gilles-Arnaud Bailly(TEX) d. Togan Tokac(TAMU) 6-3, 6-4

4. Siem Woldeab(TEX) v Tiago Pires(TAMU) 6-3, 4-6, 2-2, unfinished

5. Jonah Braswell(TEX) v Luke Casper(TAMU) 6-0, 5-5, unfinished

6. Cleeve Harper(TEX) d. Lathan Skrobarcek(TAMU) 6-3, 6-1

Order of finish: 6, 2, 3

Saturday's matches, all times Eastern, Top 8 seeds hosting

MEN:
Ohio State[1] v Mississippi State[16] noon Saturday May 11

Columbia[8] v Arizona[9] 1pm Saturday May 11

Kentucky[5] v Harvard[12] 2pm Saturday May 11

TCU[4] v Duke[13] 2pm Saturday May 11

Tennessee[7] v Florida State[10] 1pm Saturday May 11

WOMEN:

Oklahoma State[1] v Tennessee[16] 4pm Saturday May 11

Virginia[5] v Vanderbilt 1pm Saturday May 11

Michigan[3] v Miami 1pm Saturday May 11

Cracked Racquets will again be providing coverage, on two different streams, at their YouTube channel.

At the USTA Pro Circuit W75 in Zephyrhills Florida, Iva Jovic and Akasha Urhobo improved upon their showing last week at the W100 in Bonita Springs, where both made the quarterfinals, advancing to the semifinals with wins over seeded players.  Qualifier Urhobo came back to defeat No. 3 Ann Li 3-6, 7-6(3), 6-4, after Li had served for the match at 6-3, 5-4. It's the 17-year-old Floridian's first WTA Top 200 victory. She will face No. 7 seed Hanna Chang, who beat Maria Mateas(Duke) 6-4, 0-6, 7-5 in over three hours. Urhobo beat Chang in three sets last spring at a W35 in Boca Raton.

Wild card Jovic, who earned her first WTA Top 100 victory last week, defeated No. 4 seed Timea Babos of Hungary 7-5, 6-4 to advance to a second meeting in as many weeks with top seed Kayla Day. The 16-year-old Californian's Top 100 win last week was over Day, who today advanced when wild card Eugenie Bouchard of Canada retired after losing the second set in a 6-7(4), 7-5 result.