April 21, 2007

Championship Bracket

Day 2 Results

MONROEVILLE, PA - Freshman Radka Ferancova did not lose a game in her victory at third singles and top-seeded Temple rallied after dropping the doubles point to defeat No. 4 Massachusetts, 4-1, in the semifinals of the 2007 Atlantic 10 Women's Tennis Championship on Saturday at Club 4 Life.

Vying for its fourth A-10 title and first since 2003, the Owls will face three-time defending champion Richmond in the finals on Sunday at 10:30am.

UMass jumped out to a 1-0 lead as Maude Lecluyse and Laura Murillo won the deciding match at No. 3 doubles by a 9-7 margin over Temple's Anastasia Rukavyshnykova and Sharanya Pattabi. However, the Owls responded with straight-set wins by Ferancova, Rukavyshnykova, Christine Clermont and Felicia Frazier at Nos. 3-6 to advance to the finals for the first time since 2003 and ending the Minutewomen's quest for their second-ever A-10 crown.

UR sophomores Pam Duran and Ashlee Vosters secured the doubles point with an 8-4 victory at the second flight and Beatrice Grasu and Xenia Schneider won in straight sets at Nos. 3 and 5 singles as second-seeded Richmond earned a 4-1 win over No. 3 Charlotte. UR seeks its fourth consecutive A-10 title and fifth in the last six years. The Spiders fell to Temple by a 4-3 margin on Feb. 3.

"We know Temple is a very strong team. Our team is focused and looking forward to the challenge," said Richmond head coach and four-time A-10 Coach of the Year Mark Wesselink.

"It should be a great match."

Freshman Ana Spivakovsky of Charlotte raised her record to 3-0 in singles competition at the Championship after posting a hard-fought 7-5, 7-5 victory over Duran at No. 1 singles. The 49ers, who finished runner-up at the 2006 Championship, will take on Massachusetts in the third-place match on Sunday at 10:30am.

Play commences at 8am on Sunday as No. 5 Xavier and sixth-seeded Duquesne square off in the fifth-place match, while eighth-seeded George Washington and No.11 Fordham meet in the ninth-place contest.

For complete coverage of the Championship, log on to www.atlantic10.org