Women's Tennis Heads to Memphis for ITA Central Region Championships

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas women’s tennis team continues its fall season in Memphis, Tenn., for the ITA Central Region Championships from Oct. 9-14 at Leftwich Tennis Center.

The Razorbacks will be competing against student-athletes from over 20 schools across the central region. The ITA Regional Championships are the second of four qualifiers for the NCAA Singles & Doubles Championships, which will be held from Nov. 19-24 in Waco, Texas. The two singles finalists and doubles champion from each of the 13 regions will earn a bid to Waco.

The Hogs will look to improve on their performances from the two previous tournaments in Cary, N.C, at the ITA All-American Championships and in Manhattan, Kan., at the K-State Invitational. No. 18 Carolina Gomez Alonso made the deepest run in the main draw at the ITA All-American Championships, finishing the event with a 3-2 record and two top-55 victories while Katarina Pavlechova led Arkansas with four wins overall in Manhattan.

The Razorbacks will have eight members of the squad competing in Memphis in both singles and doubles. Katie Ferguson, Jimena Gomez Alonso, Anet Koskel, Lilitha Ndungane, Grace O’Donnell and Pavlechova begin the tournament in the qualifying draw with matches starting tomorrow at 9 a.m. CT. Olga Bienzobas and C. Gomez Alonso automatically qualified for the main draw with Gomez Alonso earning the No. 4 seed.

The doubles teams for the Hogs consist of No. 51 Koskel/O’Donnell, No. 71 Bienzobas/C. Gomez Alonso, Ferguson/J. Gomez Alonso and Ndungane/Pavlechova. Each pair will open play in the Round of 64 of the main draw with matches beginning on Thursday, Oct. 10 at 9 a.m. CT. Koskel and O’Donnell secured the No. 3 seed while Bienzobas and C. Gomez Alonso received the No. 5 seed.

For all information regarding the ITA Central Region Championships, visit the tournament homepage to find draws, schedule of play and results.