ROME, Georgia – Selin Sepken fell in three sets at the 2025 ITA Cup at Rome Tennis Center on Thursday, and the doubles team of Emilia Gyorgy and Camila Garcia lost a match tiebreak in their opening round match of the prestigious tournament.

Sepken was an automatic qualifier in singles after winning the ITA DII Women's South Central Regional Championships in Tyler, where she did not drop a set in six matches.

The native of Istanbul, Turkey, who transferred to MSU from Idaho as a graduate student, faced Eleanor Coleman of Rockhurst in the 16-player draw.

Coleman took the opening set, 6-4, but Sepken came storming back in the second set with a 6-2 victory, sending the match to decisive third set. Coleman outlasted Sepken 6-2 to reach the quarterfinals.

All 16 players are guaranteed the chance to play at least three matches in Rome, and Sepken will face Lilie Bizouerne of Queens (NY) on Friday.  Bizouerne was beaten in straight sets by the No. 3-seed Natasha Sengphrachanh of Grand Valley State on Thursday, 6-2, 6-1.

Gyorgy and Garcia defeated the top-seeded pairing of Yona Bancarel and Natalia Gorzny of UT Tyler in the South Central Regional semifinals, 8-3, and then coasted to a 6-1, 6-1 triumph over Gia Posito and Alessia Karol Terlizzi of St. Mary's in the final to earn an automatic bid to the ITA Cup.

On Thursday, Gyorgy/Garci won the first seed against fourth-seeded Daniela Tijaro and Renske Ubachs of Washburn, 6-3. But Tijaro and Ubachs forced a match tiebreak with a 6-2 victory in the second set. The Washburn duo pulled away in the match tiebreak to win 10-4 to reach the quarterfinals.

Gyorgy/Garcia meet Alissia Aleksandra Kivi and Nicole Kempton of Slippery Rock in the consolation bracket on Friday. Kivi/Kempton lost their opening round match to Sandra Recuenco Tarin and Carlota Verdu of West Florida, 6-4, 6-4.