FLUSHING, N.Y. – The East Coast Conference (ECC) Women’s Tennis Championship semifinals were held today at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center. Top-seeded Queens College defeated fourth-seeded St. Thomas Aquinas, 4-0, while second-seeded D’Youville University edged third-seeded District of Columbia, 4-3.
Queens and D’Youville will meet in the championship match on Saturday, April 25. Due to expected weather conditions, the match has been moved indoors to Queens College and will begin at 5:30 p.m.
Queens 4, St. Thomas Aquinas 0 (BOXSCORE)
(Match concluded once a team reached four points, per ECC rules)
Several singles matches went unfinished after Queens clinched the victory. At first singles, Marie Bertran (Queens) led Kateryna Kryuchkova (STAC) 3-6, 1-0. At second singles, Sixtine Goubet (Queens) trailed Mar Caneves Bufi (STAC) 4-6, 1-0. At third singles, ECC Player of the Year Lilie Bizouerne (Queens) was ahead 6-4, 1-0 against Shreethika Vangala (STAC).
Queens secured wins in the lower singles flights. ECC Rookie of the Year Ela Vasic defeated Sun Zhuozuan 6-1, 6-2 at fourth singles. Johanne Genestay earned a 6-0, 6-0 win over Monica Blucher at fifth singles, and Regina Ruiz posted a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Chanelle Russell at sixth singles.
In doubles play, Bertran and Vasic led Kryuchkova and Zhuozuan 5-2 in an unfinished first doubles match. Bizouerne and Goubet won second doubles 6-1 over Caneves Bufi and Vangala, while Genestay and Lydia Zafeiri claimed third doubles by default.
D’Youville 4, District of Columbia 3 (BOXSCORE)
D’Youville secured a narrow victory in a match that came down to the final singles contests.
At second singles, Nele Herst defeated Celia Bastin in a tightly contested match, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-6 (7-4). Erika Ismailova completed the comeback at fourth singles, rallying past Sofiia Shaparenko 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
District of Columbia earned points at first, third, and fifth singles. Polina Zelentsova defeated Munisa Ashurbekova 6-4, 6-4 at first singles. Lina Benjelloun recorded a 6-4, 6-1 win over Mina Randjelovic at third, and Nadja Zmukic won 6-1, 6-1 over Maria Campisi at fifth. D’Youville was awarded sixth singles by default.
The Saints secured the doubles point with a 6-0 win at first doubles by Ismailova and Randjelovic over Benjelloun and Shaparenko, and a default win at third doubles. The second doubles match was unfinished, with Bastin and Zelentsova leading 3-1 when play was halted.