Three Cavaliers Punch Tickets to NCAA Individual Championships

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – Three members of the Virginia women’s tennis team qualified for the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships with their finishes at the ITA East Sectional, held Nov. 7-10, in Chapel Hill, N.C.

This is the first year that the singles and doubles championships will be contested in the fall instead of after the NCAA team championship in the spring.

Junior Annabelle Xu secured an invitation to compete in the NCAA Singles Championship by advancing to the semifinals of sectionals. Xu, the No. 3 seed in the draw, won her first three matches to reach the semifinals before withdrawing from Sunday’s singles semifinals.

Senior Elaine Chervinsky also qualified for the NCAA Singles Championship. Chervinsky lost to the top seed in the quarterfinals but won Sunday’s 5-8 playoff match in three sets to earn one of the six singles invitations awarded at the sectional.

Despite withdrawing from her Sunday’s singles match, Xu was back on the court in doubles later that afternoon, partnering with freshman Martina Genis Salas, to top a duo from Penn in the third-place playoff to secure a spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship. Xu and Genis Salas, the No. 4 seed, advanced to the semifinals of the doubles draw before falling but won the playoff to earn their NCAA invitation.

Melodie Collard and Genis Salas also competed in the singles main draw, each falling in the round of 16. In doubles, Meggie Navarro and Sara Ziodato won the doubles consolation with a trio of wins following an opening round loss.

Xu and Chervinsky join grad student Sara Ziodato in the NCAA Singles Championship. Ziodato qualified last month with her runner-up finish at the ITA Atlantic Regional.

Genis Salas and Xu will compete in the NCAA Doubles Championship with Chervinsky and Collard, who won the doubles title at the ITA Atlantic Regional.

This will be Xu’s second time competing at the NCAA Singles Championship after advancing to the Round of 16 last season. This is her first time competing in doubles.

This is Chervinsky’s second time competing at the NCAA Singles Championship after making the tournament her freshman year. This is the second time that Collard and Chervinsky will compete in the doubles tournament after being a 5-8 seed in last season’s championship.

This will be the first time Ziodato and Genis Salas have competed at the NCAA individual championships.

Next Up

• Five Cavaliers will compete in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships, held Nov. 19-24 in Waco, Texas.

DAILY RECAPS

Thursday, Nov. 7

The Cavaliers won all four singles matches on Thursday, with Elaine Chervinsky, Melodie Collard, Annabelle Xu, and Martina Genis Salas each winning to advance to the round of 16. In doubles, Xu and Genis Salas picked up a victory over opponents from Brown to advance to the quarterfinals.

Friday, Nov. 8

The Cavaliers won two singles matches on Friday, with Chervinsky and Xu both winning in straight sets to advance to the quarterfinals. In doubles, Xu and Genis Salas advanced to the semifinals with a win over opponents from NC State. In consolation doubles, Meggie Navarro and Sara Ziodato picked up a victory against opponents from Virginia Tech.

Saturday, Nov. 9

In singles, Xu advanced to the semifinals with a come-from-behind three sets win over Malak El Allami from Columbia. In doubles, Xu and Genis Salas fell to opponents from North Carolina in the semifinals.

Sunday, Nov. 10

In singles, Chervinsky won her quarterfinal playoff match in three sets to qualify for the NCAA Singles Championship. In doubles, Xu and Genis Salas finished in third place in sectionals with a win against opponents from Penn, booking their spot in the NCAA Doubles Championship. Also, Navarro and Ziodato won consolation doubles with a straight sets win over opponents from Virginia Tech.

RESULTS

Singles
R32: [5-8] #74 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Sara Suchankova (UNCC) 7-6 (4), 6-4
R32: #91 Melodie Collard (VA) def. Sophia Hatton (CU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-4
R32: [3] #21 Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Isabella Hu (Brown) 6-4, 6-0
R32: Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Alice Ferlito (PU) 6-4, 6-4
R16: [5-8] #74 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Mia Slama (NCSU) 6-3, 7-6 (3)
R16: Kaitlyn Carnicella (SCAR) def. #91 Melodie Collard (VA)  6-2, 6-4
R16: [3] #21 Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Natalie Eordekian (BC) 6-3, 6-3
R16: [2] #10 Sarah Hamner (SCAR) def. Martina Genis Salas (VA) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
QF: [1] #26 Carson Tanguilig (UNC) def. [5-8] #74 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) 6-3, 5-7, 7-6 (5)
QF: [3] #21 Annabelle Xu (VA) def. Malak El Allami (Columbia) 2-6, 6-4, 6-1
PL-QF: [5-8] #74 Elaine Chervinsky (VA) def. Kallista Liu (UMD) 6-0, 2-6, 6-1
SF: [2] #10 Sarah Hamner (SCAR) def. [3] #21 Annabelle Xu (VA) W/O

Doubles
R16: [4] #30 Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Phoebe Peus/Lindsey Hofflander (Brown) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (4)
R16: [3] #87 Irina Balus/Elizabeth Coleman (Duke) def. #13 Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) 7-5, 6-3
QF: [4] #30 Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. #85 Kristina Paskauskas/Jasmine Conway (NCSU) 6-7 (2), 6-3, 1-0 (6)
CQF: #13 Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Tara Gorinsek/Arina Gamretkaia (VT) 6-3, 6-3
CSF: #13 Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) def. [2] #27 Sarah Hamner/Kaitlyn Carnicella (SCAR) W/O
SF: Theadora Rabman/Tatum Evans (UNC) def. [4] #30 Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) 6-4, 6-3
CF: #13 Meggie Navarro/Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Charlotte Cartledge/Ozlem Uslu (VT) 7-6 (1), 6-3
3-4: [4] #30 Annabelle Xu/Martina Genis Salas (VA) def. Esha Velaga/Lara Stojanovski (PENN) 6-7 (5), 6-3, 1-0 (2)