ARLINGTON, Texas -- Junior Hannah Yip upset top-seeded Vasilisa Polunova of Cameron and is one of three Mustangs that reached the Round of 16 in the main draw at the ITA Division II Women's South Central Regional Championship at the Arlington Tennis Center on Thursday.

Anda Ghinga, who is the No. 4 seed, and No. 6-seed Jessica Binzari also advanced with a pair of straight-set victories.

Yip dropped the opening set against Axelle Jacquemin of Lubbock Christian, 6-3, but dominated the rest of the match. Yip posted a 6-1 victory in the second set and won the match tiebreak, 10-3, to reach the second round, where she faced the No. 1 seed.

The top-seeded Polunova handled Luisa Moraes of UT Tyler in the first round, 6-0, 6-4, but fell to the Mustangs' lefty from Malaysia in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Yip faces No. 14-seed Christine Jevicky of Angelo State on Friday morning at 8 a.m.

Ghinga, the ITA Rookie of the Year and Lone Star Conference Freshman of the Year in 2021, was an All-LSC performer in singles and doubles in her first two years with the team but missed last season with an injury.

The Romanian dispatched Emily Buchanan of Dallas Baptist in the first round, 7-6 (1), 6-3, and breezed past Carolina Williams of UT Tyler in the second round, 6-2, 6-2. Williams did not drop a game in the first round, defeating Margot Aebischer, 6-0, 6-0. Ghinga faces the No. 9-seed Selina Wu of St. Mary's on Friday.

Binzari, a junior transfer from Coker, lived up to her billing. The No. 6-seed advanced with a routine 6-2, 6-2 triumph over Kanika Sivaraman of UT Tyler in the first round, and she eliminated Sofia Teran from the host school — Dallas Baptist — in the second round, 6-2, 7-5.

Binzari, who is also from Romania, was 18-2 at No. 1 singles for Coker last year and broke the school record for most singles wins in a season. The lefthander meets 11th-seeded Michelle Trochez of Lubbock Christian in the third round on Friday.

Sydney Williams won a thriller in the first round. The junior from Austin, Texas, dropped the first set to Brooke Runyan of UT Permian Basin, 6-3, but forced a match tiebreak with a 6-2 victory in the second set. The two combatants battled through 30 points to decide the match, which Williams ultimately won, 16-14.

Seventh-seeded Kateryna Rudenko of Cameron eliminated Williams in the second round, 6-0, 6-2.

Sofia Giraldo, a freshman from Colombia, rallied to force a match tiebreak against former Mustang Kyndall Quiroz, a senior in her second season with St. Mary's. The No. 15-seed from San Antonio advanced with a 6-3, 2-6, 11-9 triumph over the Midwestern State newcomer.

Mauela Turolo of Texas A&M-Kingsville dismissed Midwestern State senior Skylar Minns of Aransas Pass, Texas, in the first round, 6-1, 6-2, and Letizia Corsini of Angelo State, the No. 3 seed, handled MSU junior Micaela McSpadden of Oologah, Oklahoma, 6-1, 6-1, to reach the second round.

In doubles, Williams and Ghinga are the No. 4 seed in the 32-team draw. Williams, who played No. 1 doubles with Amelia Lawson in the spring, is competing alongside Ghinga, who has a 36-9 doubles record over two spring campaigns with MSU.

The duo waltzed into the second round with an 8-1 victory over Marta Garcia and Mariangel Nunez in the first round.

Sofia Teran and Isabella Rios of Dallas Baptist upended the fourth-seeded duo, 9-7, in the Round of 16.
Yip continued her successful day by teaming up with freshman Sarah Mazaraki and posting an 8-3 victory over Luna Jokanovic and Raina Zaffar of Texas A&M-Kingsville in the opening round.

Ayda Guler and Avery Durham, the No. 8-seeded pairing from Angelo State, outlasted Yip and Mazaraki in the second round, 9-7.

Mazaraki reached the quarterfinals of the 'B' draw in singles. The freshman defeated Sweta Rana in the first round, 6-0, 6-3, and took a match tiebreak from Sarah Stewart in the Round of 16, 10-8, after splitting sets, 4-6, 6-3. Mazaraki meets Anna Melnik of of UT Tyler in the 'B' draw quarterfinals on Friday.

McSpadden and Giraldo drew the No. 1-seed from Angelo State — Mieke Van Deventer and Eva Schwartz. The Mustangs fell in the pro set, 9-7.

Bailey Godwin and Wu of St. Mary's eliminated Binzari and Kanaha Furutani of Midwestern State with an 8-5 triumph in the first round.

Furutani lost a tightly contested Round of 16 match in the singles 'B' draw. Montserrat Salazar of UT Permian Basin prevailed in a match tiebreak, 1-6, 6-4, 10-8.


 

ITA Division II South Central Region Championships

Arlington Tennis Center
Arlington, Texas

Main Singles Draw

Round of 64

Hannah Yip (MSU) d. Axelle Jacquemin (LCU) 3-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-3)
Manuela Turolo (TAMUK) d. Skylar Minns (MSU) 6-1, 6-2
Anda Ghinga (MSU) d. Emily Buchanan (DBU) 7-6 (1), 6-3
Jessica Binzari (MSU) d. Kanika Sivaraman (UTT) 6-2, 6-2
Sydney Williams (MSU) d. d. Brooke Runyan (UTT) 3-6, 6-2, 1-0 (16-14)
Letizia Corsini (ASU) d. Micaela McSpadden (MSU) 6-1, 6-1
Kyndal Quiroz (STMU) d. Sofia Giraldo (MSU) 6-3, 2-6, 1-0 (11-9)

Round of 32

Hannah Yip (MSU) d. Vasilisa Polunova (CU) 6-2, 6-3
Anda Ghinga (MSU) d. Calina Williams (UTT) 6-2, 6-2
Jessica Binzari (MSU) d. Sofia Teran (DBU) 6-4, 6-1
Kateryna Rudenko (CU) d. Sydney Williams (MSU) 6-0, 6-2

Round of 16

Friday, Sept. 22
Hannah Yip (MSU) vs. Christine Jevicky (ASU), 8 a.m.
Anda Ghinga (MSU) vs. Selina Wu (STMU), 8 a.m.
Jessica Binzari (MSU) vs. Michelle Trochez (LCU), 8 a.m.

Consolation Singles Draw

Round of 32

Teodora Vrucan (UTPB) d. Skylar Minns (MSU) 4-6, 6-1, 1-0 (10-6)
Micaela McSpadden (MSU) d. Tuva Asplund (UTPB) 6-4, 6-4
Sofia Giraldo (MSU) d. Mariia Koroleva (LCU) WO (Inj.)

Round of 16

Friday, Sept. 22
Micaela McSpadden (MSU) vs. Marta Garcia, 8 a.m.
Sofia Giraldo (MSU) vs. Magda Wawrowska (CU), 8 a.m.

B Singles Draw

Round of 32

Sarah Mazaraki (MSU) d. Sweta Rana 6-0, 6-3

Round of 16

Sarah Mazaraki (MSU) d. Sarah Stewart (DBU) 4-6, 6-3, 1-0 (10-8)
Montserrat Salazar (UTPB) d. Kanaha Furutani (MSU) 1-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-8)

Quarterfinals

Sarah Mazaraki (MSU) vs. Anna Melnik (UTT), 8 a.m.

Main Doubles Draw

Round of 32

Mieke Van Deventer/Eva Schwartz (ASU) d. Micaela McSpadden/Sofia Giraldo (MSU) 9-7
Sydney Williams/Anda Ghinga (MSU) d. Marta Garcia/Mariangel Nunez 8-1
Hannah Yip/Sarah Mazaraki (MSU) d. Luna Jokanovic/Raina Zaffar (TAMUK) 8-3
Bailey Godwin/Selina Wu (STMU) d. Kanaha Furutani/Jessica Binzari (MSU) 8-5

Round of 16

Sofia Teran/Isabella Rios (DBU) d. Sydney Williams/Anda Ghinga (MSU) 9-7
Ayda Guler/Avery Durham (ASU) d. Hannah Yip/Sarah Mazaraki (MSU) 9-7

Consolation Doubles Draw

Round of 16

Mattea Bowe/Paige Bott (UTPB) d. Micaela McSpadden/Sofia Giraldo (MSU) 8-4
Kanaha Furutani/Jessica Binzari (MSU) d. Kateryna Rudenko/Martyna Jankowska (CU) 8-6

Quarterfinals

Kanaha Frutani/Jessica Binzari (MSU) vs. Madalyn Smelley/Jenna Payne (DBU), 4 p.m.