Sunday, January 28
Gainesville, Fla.
11 a.m.
Wake Forest University
2
vs
4
FIU
Photo by: Wes Wilson
Deacs Fall to Panthers During Final Day of ITA Kickoff Weekend
1/28/2024 2:47:00 PM | Women's Tennis
Krystal Blanch secured a career 'first' on Sunday afternoon.
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Stepping into one more go-around during the final day of the 2024 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Kickoff Weekend, Wake Forest women's tennis (1-3) faced Florida International in a consolation match on Sunday afternoon (Jan. 28) on the grounds of the University of Florida. The two sides went back and forth for hours of competition before the Panthers ultimately won on a 4-2 decision.
The contest featured a first career singles win for sophomore Krystal Blanch in a dual-match setting. She was also the first individual to record a solo victory throughout the day, doing so in straight-sets fashion.
Wins in doubles play went the way of Marcella Cruz/Brooke Killingsworth and Sankavi Gownder/Whitley Pate. The latter put on a dominant display en route to dropping only a single game.
Wake Forest moved to 2-1 in the all-time series versus FIU.
How it Happened
Doubles Results:
Singles Results:
From Coach Wyshner
"Another tough, close match as expected," noted head coach Jeff Wyshner. "We played our best doubles point at 1 and 3 this year, so that was good to see. Krystal was great in getting her first college dual-match singles win. We just let some good moments slip in the first sets at #1 and #3, and couldn't recover. It is hard to play from behind on the second day of back-to-back matches. The level of play was very high this weekend. (FIU and San Diego) definitely are two teams that expect to be in NCAAs at the end of the year, so hopefully the experience serves us well heading into February."
Next Up
The Deacons travel to its neighboring state next, visiting Old Dominion for a Saturday morning showdown (Feb. 3) in Norfolk, Virginia. The match is slated to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
Follow the Deacs
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The contest featured a first career singles win for sophomore Krystal Blanch in a dual-match setting. She was also the first individual to record a solo victory throughout the day, doing so in straight-sets fashion.
Wins in doubles play went the way of Marcella Cruz/Brooke Killingsworth and Sankavi Gownder/Whitley Pate. The latter put on a dominant display en route to dropping only a single game.
Wake Forest moved to 2-1 in the all-time series versus FIU.
How it Happened
- Marcella Cruz/Brooke Killingsworth and Sankavi Gownder/Whitley Pate took an edge in first and third doubles early, respectively, picking up 3-1 leads.
- Gownder/Pate remained in control to notch two more games, bumping their advantage to 5-1.
- The board soon became even on court one (3-3).
- It did not take much longer for Gownder/Pate to complete the deed in third doubles, comfortably landing a 6-1 finish.
- FIU took second doubles, 6-3.
- All attention then centered on court one, which was briefly tied at 4-4 before Cruz/Killingsworth captured the ensuing game.
- The pair hung on for one final sequence, grabbing a 6-4 victory to give their squad the opening point.
- Krystal Blanch won three of her first four games in the opening set of sixth singles.
- The sophomore then split the following two.
- Casie Wooten continued her heady work on court one, creating a 4-4 even score.
- Back over on court six, Blanch became the first individual to secure a set win (6-3).
- Gownder kept things close in her first set as well, sitting at a 5-5 clip at the time.
- She scooped two final games to become the second Deac with a first-set victory (7-5).
- Moments later, Cruz stepped into a tiebreaker within her opening frame.
- Blanch steadied an impressive control down the stretch to capture her first singles win in straight sets.
- Wake Forest moved further ahead in the contest, 2-0.
- FIU posted its first point of the afternoon with a second-singles win, trailing 2-1.
- A Panther next finished victorious on court four to even the match at 2-2.
- Wooten began to make things happen in her second set, tying the score at 4 all.
- Gownder was in a likewise situation, at the time, on court five.
- The two Deacs' stepped into 5-5 ties in their respective second periods of play.
- Gownder was in a likewise situation, at the time, on court five.
- FIU took the lead on a win in third singles, 3-2.
- Wooten continued to perform admirably to force a third set of competition.
- Gownder soon entered a third frame as well.
- The Panthers won the set with a final three-set victory in first singles, as Gownder's match went unfinished.
- Wake Forest fell, 4-2.
Doubles Results:
- Marcella Cruz/Brooke Killingsworth (WFU) def. Ekaterina Khairutdinova/Oyinlomo Quadre (FIU) 6-4
- Katerina Mandelikova/Salma Loudili (FIU) def. Krystal Blanch/Casie Wooten (WFU) 3-6
- Sankavi Gownder/Whitley Pate (WFU) def. Valery Gynina/Kristyna Hranacova (FIU) 6-1
Singles Results:
- No. 104 Oyinlomo Quadre (FIU) def. No. 42 Casie Wooten (WFU) 5-7, 7-5, 0-6
- Ekaterina Khairutdinova (FIU) def. Brooke Killingsworth (WFU) 2-6, 1-6
- Valery Ginyna (FIU) def. Marcella Cruz (WFU) 6-7 (5-7), 1-6
- Katerina Madelikova (FIU) def. Nevena Carton (WFU) 4-6, 3-6
- Sankavi Gownder (WFU) vs. Salma Loudili (FIU) 7-5, 5-7, 2-3, unfinished
- Krystal Blanch (WFU) def. Kristyna Hranacova (FIU) 6-3, 6-1
From Coach Wyshner
"Another tough, close match as expected," noted head coach Jeff Wyshner. "We played our best doubles point at 1 and 3 this year, so that was good to see. Krystal was great in getting her first college dual-match singles win. We just let some good moments slip in the first sets at #1 and #3, and couldn't recover. It is hard to play from behind on the second day of back-to-back matches. The level of play was very high this weekend. (FIU and San Diego) definitely are two teams that expect to be in NCAAs at the end of the year, so hopefully the experience serves us well heading into February."
Next Up
The Deacons travel to its neighboring state next, visiting Old Dominion for a Saturday morning showdown (Feb. 3) in Norfolk, Virginia. The match is slated to begin at 10 a.m. ET.
Follow the Deacs
Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | GoDeacs.com
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,2,1
#1 Singles Match
123
570
Oyinlomo Quadre / 0 (104/-) [FIU]
756
#2 Singles Match
12
21
E. Khairutdinova / 0 [FIU]
66
#3 Singles Match
12
61
Valery Gynina / 0 [FIU]
76
#4 Singles Match
12
43
Katerina Mandelikova / 0 [FIU]
66
#5 Singles Match
1234
7520
Salma Loudili / 0 [FIU]
573UF
#6 Singles Match
12
66
Kristyna Hranacova / 0 [FIU]
31
Order of Finish:
6,2,4,3,1
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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