The Emory University women's tennis team got off to a strong start on the first day of the ITA South Regionals with nine players advancing to the round of 16 in singles while three doubles teams qualified for the quarterfinals. The Eagles are serving as tournament hosts this year with the main draw taking place on the Woodruff PE Center courts.
The competition got underway Friday morning in singles as all nine Eagles entered in the field of 49 won their second round matches after receiving first-round byes. All nine wins came in convincing straight-set fashion.
On the top half of the draw, defending ITA Cup champion and No. 1 seed sophomore Eliza McPherron took care of business against Methodist's Cailin Cifra 6-0, 6-2 while senior and No. 6 seed Stephanie Shulman topped Sewanee's Nicole Nowak 6-1, 6-1. No. 4 seed junior Ana Cristina Perez added a 6-1, 6-1 win of her own over Agnes Scott's Czarina Barlaan and on the other court, senior and No. 12 seed Alexa Goetz defeated Piedmont's Imani Vincent 6-2, 6-1.
The Eagles' freshmen class shined in the bottom half of the draw, headlined by No. 3 seed Emily Kantrovitz who moved on with her 6-1, 6-2 decision against Sewanee's Emma Caldwell and will meet No. 10 seed Iris Berman in the round of 16 after Berman whitewashed Rhodes' Esme Benjamin 6-0, 6-0. No. 14 seed Alyssa Margolin dropped just one game across her two sets with Rhodes' Emily Holderness whereas No. 13 seed Alessia Martinez was a 6-1, 6-1 winner in her match against Rhodes' Lena Letourneau. No. 15 seed Izzy Antanavicius rounded out the Emory winners in singles, taking down Sewanee's Lauren Wilson 6-1, 6-2.
The afternoon featured the doubles portion of the tournament with three of Emory's five entered tandems advancing to the quarterfinals. Perez and Martinez toppled Methodist's Cifra/Laney 8-3 and will meet teammates Berman/Margolin in the round of eight as they defeated Sewanee's Caldwell/Hardin 8-2. McPherron and Kantrovitz will join the two other Eagle teams in the quarterfinals as they added an 8-2 win over Millsaps' Dabadie/Williams, 8-2.
Saturday's schedule of events will see the round of 16 and quarterfinals in singles get underway beginning at 8:00 AM followed by the quarterfinals and semifinals in doubles later in the day.