Quick straight set blowouts were the theme of the day with 7 of 8 matches finishing in straight sets with most not lasting much more than 75 minutes. The top two seeds in both the men’s and women’s draw advanced to the semifinals with only Miami’s Estela Perez-Somarriba needing to go three sets.
Perez-Somarriba, who won the title in 2019, was in a world of trouble against UCLA’s Abigail Forbes. Forbes had what appeared to be an unsurmountable 7-6, 5-0 lead but remarkably Perez-Somarriba won 7 straight, while fighting off one match point, to force a third set. Despite going a break down to start the third set, Perez-Somarriba regained control and won the final set 6-3.
Oregon freshman Janice Tjen continued her great run with a straight set win over NC State’s Anna Rogers. Tjen went 18-2 during the season while starting all matches at No. 1 singles. The previous best mark for an Oregon player was a third round appearance in 2003 by Daria Panova.
Below I have some notes from each match along with Thursday’s schedule – the women’s semifinals will start at 12 pm ET with the men starting at 2 pm ET.
Men’s Singles – Quarterfinal Results
[1] Liam Draxl (13.77), Kentucky def. [8] Gabriel Decamps (13.69), UCF 7-6(1), 6-1
[6] Sam Riffice (13.66), Florida def. [4] Valentin Vacherot (13.67), Texas A&M 6-3, 6-0
Adrian Boitan (13.51), Baylor def. William Blumberg (13.66), North Carolina 6-4, 6-1
[2] Daniel Rodrigues (13.80), South Carolina def. Aleksandar Kovacevic (13.97), Illinois 6-1, 6-3
- [1] Liam Draxl (13.77), Kentucky def. [8] Gabriel Decamps (13.69), UCF 7-6(1), 6-1
- Match Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- First Set – There were no breaks of serve though Draxl fought off 3 break points to hold for 2-2 and Decamps fought off 2 break points to hold for 6-5; the TB was even at 3-3 at the changeover then Decamps led 5-4*; Draxl won both points on his serve to go up 6-5* then after Decamps evened it at 6-6 Draxl won the next 2 points to take it 8-6
- Second Set – There were more breaks than holds with Draxl breaking 3 times while Decamps broke once
- Deciding Points: 3 – Decamps won 2
- Best Results for UK at NCAAs: Eric Quigley (2012 Finalist); Jesse Witten (2002 Finalist); Carlos Drada (2000 Finalist)
- [6] Sam Riffice (13.66), Florida def. [4] Valentin Vacherot (13.67), Texas A&M 6-3, 6-0
- Match Time: 1 hour 8 minutes
- First Set – Vacherot led *2-0 and was serving up 40/15 then Riffice came back to break and reeled off 3 more to go ahead 4-2; after an exchange of holds Riffice broke Vacherot from 30/40 to take the set
- Second Set – Riffice won 11 of the 13 points on his serve and 11 of the 15 points on Vacherot’s serve
- Deciding Points: 2 – Each won 1
- Best Results for Florida at NCAAs: Jeff Morrison (1999 Champ); Mark Merklein (1994 Champ)
- Adrian Boitan (13.51), Baylor def. William Blumberg (13.66), North Carolina 6-4, 6-1
- Match Time: 1 hour 22 minutes
- First Set – Only break of the set came when Boitan broke Blumberg’s 4-5 service game from 30/40
- Second Set – Boitan held on the deciding point twice while breaking Blumberg twice
- Deciding Points: 4 – Boitan won 3
- Best Results for BU at NCAAs: Benedikt Dorsch (2005 Champ); Benjamin Becker (2004 Champ); Benedikt Dorsch (2003 Finalist)
- [2] Daniel Rodrigues (13.80), South Carolina def. Aleksandar Kovacevic (13.97), Illinois 6-1, 6-3
- Match Time: 1 hour 11 minutes
- First Set – Rodrigues broke Kovacevic 3 times while each of his own service games went to a deciding point
- Second Set – Exchange of breaks to start the set then all holds until Kovacevic’s 3-4 service game; Rodrigues broke from 30/40 for 5-3 and served it out at love
- Deciding Points: 5 – Rodrigues won them all
- Best Results for SC at NCAAs: Paul Jubb (2019 Champ); Guillaume Legat (2001 Semifinalist)
Men’s Semifinal Schedule
[1] Liam Draxl (13.77), Kentucky vs. [6] Sam Riffice (13.66), Florida (2:00 pm)
[2] Daniel Rodrigues (13.80), South Carolina vs. Adrian Boitan (13.51), Baylor (2:00 pm)
Women’s Singles – Quarterfinal Results
[1] Sara Daavettila (10.95), North Carolina def. Christina Rosca (10.63), Vanderbilt 6-2, 6-4
[3] Emma Navarro (11.35), Virginia def. Paris Corley (10.68), LSU 6-2, 6-1
Janice Tjen (10.70), Oregon def. [6] Anna Rogers (10.80), NC State 6-2, 6-3
[2] Estela Perez-Somarriba (11.08), Miami (FL) def. [7] Abigail Forbes (11.20), UCLA 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3
- [1] Sara Daavettila (10.95), North Carolina def. Christina Rosca (10.63), Vanderbilt 6-2, 6-4
- Match Time 1 hour 31 minutes
- First Set – Daavettila jumped out to a double break 4-1 lead and ended up breaking Rosca 3 times in the set while being broke once herself
- Second Set – Rosca led *2-0 and was serving up 40/15 but Daavettila broke and then won the next 4 games to go ahead *5-2; Rosca broke from 30/40 to stay in the match and then held at love; Daavettila served it out from 40/15
- Deciding Points: 5 – Daavettila won 3
- Best Results for UNC at NCAAs: Hayley Carter (2016 Finalist); Jamie Loeb (2015 Champ)
- [3] Emma Navarro (11.35), Virginia def. Paris Corley (10.68), LSU 6-2, 6-1
- Match Time 1 hour 3 minutes
- First Set – Stayed on serve until Navarro broke Corley on the deciding point for 4-2; Navarro held at love and then broke at love to close out the set;
- Second Set – Corley broke Navarro to start the set then Navarro reeled off 6 straight
- Deciding Points: 3 – Navarro won them all
- Best Results for UVA at NCAAs: Danielle Collins (2016 & 2014 Champ)
- Janice Tjen (10.70), Oregon def. [6] Anna Rogers (10.80), NC State 6-2, 6-3
- Match Time 1 hour 7 minutes
- First Set – Tjen broke Rogers from 15/40 to go ahead 3-2 and then broke again from 30/40 to make it 5-2
- Second Set – Tjen broke Rogers at love to go ahead 4-2 then she held from 40/15 and broke from 30/40 to win it
- Deciding Points: 1 – Rogers won it
- Best Results for UO at NCAAs: Daria Panova (2003 Round of 16)
- [2] Estela Perez-Somarriba (11.08), Miami (FL) def. [7] Abigail Forbes (11.20), UCLA 6-7(5), 7-5, 6-3
- Match Time 3 hours 5 minutes
- First Set – Perez-Somarriba led 4-0 in the first set then Forbes won the next 4 to even it at 4-4; Perez-Somarriba broke for 5-4 and then had 2 set points while serving up 40/30 but Forbes broke for 5-5; Perez-Somarriba broke for 6-5 but Forbes broke back to send it to a tiebreak; Perez-Somarriba led the tiebreak 5-4* but Forbes won the next 3 to take the TB 7-5
- Second Set – Forbes led 5-0 and was serving for the match but she double faulted 3 times to get broke from 30/40; Perez-Somarriba fought off a match point while serving at 1-5 then she broke Forbes again from 30/40 to make it 3-5; after Perez-Somarriba held for 4-5 she broke Forbes from 30/40 for 5-5 and then held and broke again to make it 7 straight games and a 7-5 set;
- Third Set – Forbes broke Perez-Somarriba to start the final set but Perez-Somarriba broke back on the deciding point for 1-1; Perez-Somarriba came back from 0/40 down to hold for 2-1 then she broke Forbes on the deciding point for 3-1; Perez-Somarriba held on the deciding point for 4-1 then they exchanged holds the rest of the way with Perez-Somarriba fighting off a break point while serving at 4-2 and at 5-3
- Deciding Points: 11 (8 on Perez-Somarriba’s serve) – Perez-Somarriba won 8
- Best Results for UM at NCAAs: Estela Perez-Somarriba (2019 Champ); Laura Vallverdu (2009 Finalist); Audra Cohen (2007 Champ)
Women’s Semifinal Schedule – Times ET
[1] Sara Daavettila, North Carolina 10.95 vs. [3] Emma Navarro, Virginia 11.35 (12:00 pm)
[2] Estela Perez-Somarriba, Miami (FL) 11.08 vs. Janice Tjen, Oregon 10.70 (12:00 pm)
You can follow the matches with the live scoring links (MEN & WOMEN) and streaming video via the TennisOne app.
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