FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. - - The Wilmington University women's tennis team competed at the 2017 ITA East Regional Championships over the weekend, competing individually in both the singles and doubles draw. The event took place at the famed Billie Jean King USTA National Tennis Center.
All seven Wildcats competed over the multi-day event, with two doubles partners advancing to the Round of 32 and two singles players making their way to the Round of 64.
Andrea Ribalta worked her way through the qualifying bracket to enter the main draw on Saturday. Ribalta defeated Dominican's Gretchen Ringler and Bentley's Hannah Fabianski to advance to the women's main draw.
Anushka Sathe won her first match in the qualifying draw, 8-2, over St. Thom Aquinas' Carolyn Kopf, but fell to Stonehill's Isabelle Parker to narrowly miss advancing to the main draw. Sabrina Blasi-Smith, Tess Paya, Mallory Nolte, and Laura Gil also did not advance out of the qualifying draw.
Begona Gomar was the only seeded Wildcat (10th), not needing to play in the qualifying rounds to advance to the women's main draw. She fought back in the second set against Stonehill's Parker to tie the match, but fell in the third set tiebreaker. Ribalta matched up against Goldey-Beacom's Catarina Zheng, seeded 13th, but also fell in the round of 64.
On the doubles side, Gomar teamed up with Paya to win their first match, 8-5, against Post's Juliana Seabra and Sarah Namazi. But the duo fell in the Round of 32, 8-3, to Adelphi's Nicole Kielan and Vanja Savic.
The combination of Ribalta and Sathe took down Molloy's Megan Scali and Danielle Bloecker, 8-2, in the opening round as well, but fell in the Round of 32 to 12th seeded Anna Hortelano Pey and Fredrika Regner of Goldey-Beacom.
Blasi-Smith and Gil also competed in the doubles draw, but fell in the opening round, 8-5, to the duo of Paula Avellan and Anastatia Danylova from the University of the District of Columbia.
The event continues on Monday as champions will be crowned in the men's and women's singles draw as well as the men's and women's doubles draw.
The Wildcats return to team play on Wednesday afternoon as they square off against reigning Central Atlantic Collegiate Conference Regular Season and Tournament Champions Goldey-Beacom. The Lightning and Wildcats will throw up the first serve at 3:00 p.m. at the Delcastle Tennis Center.