ROME, Ga. – The Lindsey Wilson men's and women's tennis teams competed this past weekend at the 2024 ITA Cup in Rome, Georgia, facing off against the top national competition. Despite strong efforts in both singles and doubles, the Blue Raiders faced tough challenges from opponents who advanced deep into the tournament.
Women's Singles
Mariangeles Mateu opened against top-seeded Violet Apisah from Keiser, falling 6-1, 6-1. Apisah went on to win the singles "East" draw. Mateu moved to the "West" consolation draw but had to retire due to injury after losing the first set of her opening match.
Anastasiia Vorobiova also faced a strong opponent in the first round, losing 6-4, 6-4 to No. 4 seed Sofia Munoz from Indiana Wesleyan. Vorobiova advanced to the semifinals of the "West" draw before being edged out by Xavier's Amira Bergaoui in two close sets, 7-6, 7-6.
Women's Doubles
Anastasiia Ivanchenko and Mayra Gisone started strong with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Indiana Wesleyan's France Antezana and Sofia Munoz. In the quarterfinals, they pushed Shalimar Talbi and Adrianna Kluska, eventual doubles finalists, to three sets, narrowly losing 4-6, 6-4, 10-6. Ivanchenko and Gisone bounced back in the "North" draw, winning against Georgia Gwinnett's Isid Hernandez and Justine Lespes in a super tiebreak.
Mateu and Aina Bernabeu lost their opening-round doubles match in three sets (6-3, 3-6, 10-6) to Xavier's Mbali Langa and McKenna Wheatley, who went on to win the main draw. Mateu and Bernabeu rallied in the "West" draw, eventually defeating Antezana and Munoz in their final match.
Men's Doubles
The duo of Santiago Passoni and Hans Schubert fell in their opening round to Georgia Gwinnett's Andoni Garmendia and Aleksandr Kalinin after a hard-fought three-set match (6-7, 7-6, 10-0). Garmendia and Kalinin advanced to the finals. Due to Schubert's injury, the pair did not compete further in the consolation rounds.
The Lindsey Wilson tennis teams will regroup and use their experience from the ITA Cup as they prepare for their upcoming season.
