TEMPE, Ariz. – Day one of the 22nd annual ASU Thunderbird Invitational couldn't have gone much better for the Sun Devil women's tennis team, as they won all six doubles matches and nine of 10 singles matches. Six of the seven women will play on Saturday in the tournament quarterfinals.
"Our goal was to go undefeated in doubles this weekend and so far we did, we're 6-0. When you play a set of doubles, it happens so quickly you just have to be ready," said head coach Sheila McInerney. "I think our kids, to their credit, had a goal in mind. We met that goal today and we are going to do the same thing tomorrow which is great.
"Overall it was a good day. The kids got a lot of tennis in. On home court you are expected to play well and I think we did."
Arguably the match of the day was in plain sight for the fans, as senior Gussie O'Sullivan lived up to her nickname – the Grinder. Her four hour first round match against San Diego's Gemma Garcia featured back-to-back tiebreakers to decide the first two sets. After losing the first, O'Sullivan battled back to win the second and tire out Garcia. That would allow the Australian to develop a 3-0 lead in the third, and cruise to a 6-2 win for the victory.
Kassidy Jump, Sammi Hampton and Nicole Fossa Huergo only played one match – winning in straight sets -- as the three earned a first-round bye as the 1-3 seeds, respectively.
Junior transfer Kelley Anderson carried her momentum from doubles straight into singles in her first-ever match in Tempe, defeating Audrey Mayer of California 6-2, 6-3 in round one. That set up a meeting with Daniela Morales of San Diego, where she again won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.
The freshman Savannah Slaysman, who grew up watching the ASU Thunderbird as a fan, embraced the opportunity with two-straight victories in her first home meet wearing the maroon and gold. She defeated Chiara Tomasetti of NAU, 6-4, 6-3 in round one. Her second match against Fresno State's Emma Wilson wasn't so easy, as she dropped the first set before bouncing back with 6-3, 6-2 wins in the second and third respectively.
After a first round victory, senior Alexandra Osborne fell in a three-set battle with Maria Smith of Cal. She'll move to the consolation bracket, where she'll face Blanka Szavay of NAU on Saturday.
Day two will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with two rounds of doubles, followed by singles at 10 a.m.
Admission is free at Whiteman Tennis Center.
ASU Thunderbird Invitational
Whiteman Tennis Center
Nov. 4-6, 2016
Round of 32:
Maria Paula Torres (USD) def. Stephanie Lin (CAL) – 6-3, 6-2
Kelley Anderson (ASU) def. Audrey Mayer (CAL) – 6-2, 6-3
Alexandra Osborne (ASU) def. Sabrina Barkdull (USD) – 6-1, 6-0
Savannah Slaysman (ASU) def. Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) – 6-4, 6-3
Alexis Nelson (CAL) def. Nicole Anderson (USD) – 5-7 RETIRED
**EIGHT PLAYERS WITH BYES**
Round of 16:
(1) Kassidy Jump (ASU) def. Maria Paula Torres (USD) – 6-3, 6-3
Kelley Anderson (ASU) def. Daniela Morales (USD) – 6-3, 6-1
Gussie O'Sullivan (ASU) def. Gemma Garcia (USD) – 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-2
Galina Bykova (Fresno) def. (4) Maya Jansen (CAL) – 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
(3) Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) def. Blanka Szavay (NAU) – 6-1, 6-2
Maria Smith (CAL) def. Alexandra Osborne (ASU) -- 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Savannah Slaysman (ASU) def. Emma Wilson (Fresno) – 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2
(2) Sammi Hampton (ASU) def. Alexis Nelson (CAL) – 6-1, 6-0
1st Round Consolation Draw:
Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. Sabrina Barkdull (USD) – 6-3, 6-2
Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) def. Audrey Mayer (CAL) – 6-1, 6-1
"Our goal was to go undefeated in doubles this weekend and so far we did, we're 6-0. When you play a set of doubles, it happens so quickly you just have to be ready," said head coach Sheila McInerney. "I think our kids, to their credit, had a goal in mind. We met that goal today and we are going to do the same thing tomorrow which is great.
"Overall it was a good day. The kids got a lot of tennis in. On home court you are expected to play well and I think we did."
Arguably the match of the day was in plain sight for the fans, as senior Gussie O'Sullivan lived up to her nickname – the Grinder. Her four hour first round match against San Diego's Gemma Garcia featured back-to-back tiebreakers to decide the first two sets. After losing the first, O'Sullivan battled back to win the second and tire out Garcia. That would allow the Australian to develop a 3-0 lead in the third, and cruise to a 6-2 win for the victory.
Kassidy Jump, Sammi Hampton and Nicole Fossa Huergo only played one match – winning in straight sets -- as the three earned a first-round bye as the 1-3 seeds, respectively.
Junior transfer Kelley Anderson carried her momentum from doubles straight into singles in her first-ever match in Tempe, defeating Audrey Mayer of California 6-2, 6-3 in round one. That set up a meeting with Daniela Morales of San Diego, where she again won in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1.
The freshman Savannah Slaysman, who grew up watching the ASU Thunderbird as a fan, embraced the opportunity with two-straight victories in her first home meet wearing the maroon and gold. She defeated Chiara Tomasetti of NAU, 6-4, 6-3 in round one. Her second match against Fresno State's Emma Wilson wasn't so easy, as she dropped the first set before bouncing back with 6-3, 6-2 wins in the second and third respectively.
After a first round victory, senior Alexandra Osborne fell in a three-set battle with Maria Smith of Cal. She'll move to the consolation bracket, where she'll face Blanka Szavay of NAU on Saturday.
Day two will kick off at 8:30 a.m. with two rounds of doubles, followed by singles at 10 a.m.
Admission is free at Whiteman Tennis Center.
ASU Thunderbird Invitational
Whiteman Tennis Center
Nov. 4-6, 2016
DOUBLES
Round 1
Jump/Hampton (ASU) def. Jansen/Lin (CAL) – 6-1
Fossa Huergo/Osborne (ASU) def. Garcia/Morales (USD) – 6-3
Anderson/Slaysman (ASU) def. Wilson/Bykova (FSU) – 7-5
Tomasetti/Szavay (NAU) def. Barkdull/Mayer (USD/CAL) – 6-0
Anderson/Torres (USD) def. Smith/Nelson (CAL) – 6-3
Round 2
Barkdull/Mayer (USD/CAL)) def. Wilson/Bykova (FSU) – 7-6
Fossa Huergo/Osborne (ASU) def. Anderson/Torres (USD) – 6-4
Anderson/Slaysman (ASU) def. Smith/Nelson (CAL) – 7-5
Jansen/Lin (CAL) def. Tomasetti/Szavay – 6-4
O'Sullivan/Hampton (ASU) def. Garcia/Morales (USD) – 6-3
Round of 32:
Maria Paula Torres (USD) def. Stephanie Lin (CAL) – 6-3, 6-2
Kelley Anderson (ASU) def. Audrey Mayer (CAL) – 6-2, 6-3
Alexandra Osborne (ASU) def. Sabrina Barkdull (USD) – 6-1, 6-0
Savannah Slaysman (ASU) def. Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) – 6-4, 6-3
Alexis Nelson (CAL) def. Nicole Anderson (USD) – 5-7 RETIRED
**EIGHT PLAYERS WITH BYES**
Round of 16:
(1) Kassidy Jump (ASU) def. Maria Paula Torres (USD) – 6-3, 6-3
Kelley Anderson (ASU) def. Daniela Morales (USD) – 6-3, 6-1
Gussie O'Sullivan (ASU) def. Gemma Garcia (USD) – 6-7(2), 7-6(3), 6-2
Galina Bykova (Fresno) def. (4) Maya Jansen (CAL) – 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
(3) Nicole Fossa Huergo (ASU) def. Blanka Szavay (NAU) – 6-1, 6-2
Maria Smith (CAL) def. Alexandra Osborne (ASU) -- 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Savannah Slaysman (ASU) def. Emma Wilson (Fresno) – 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-2
(2) Sammi Hampton (ASU) def. Alexis Nelson (CAL) – 6-1, 6-0
1st Round Consolation Draw:
Blanka Szavay (NAU) def. Sabrina Barkdull (USD) – 6-3, 6-2
Chiara Tomasetti (NAU) def. Audrey Mayer (CAL) – 6-1, 6-1