It was a great run, all the way to the final match.
ASU tennis sophomore Jacqueline Cako played with authority and came in second at the ITA All-American Championships in Los Angeles.
The only Sun Devil to win the tournament was Kelcy McKenna in 2008.
Going into the tournament, assistant coach Clint Letcher said he was looking for good results.
On Thursday in the first round of the tournament, Cako defeated Florida’s Joanna Mather, 2-6, 6-2, 7-5, taking the Gator into extra sets.
This match was indicative of the tournament for Cako: it was a battle, but she was prepared to face it.
“She got through the Mather match and it kick-started her through the next matches,” Letcher said.
In the quarterfinals on Friday, Cako defeated No. 14 Aeriel Ellis of Texas, 6-3, 7-5 to set up a match against the top-ranked player in the nation, Jana Juricova of California.
Cako, ranked 11th in the nation, beat Juricova in a strenuous 7-6, 7-6, battle in the semifinals.
“The Juricova match was fun to watch, they both went after it,” Letcher said.
It was a close match, with Juricova having multiple set points in both sets.
“There were set points that could have gone either way,” Cako said. “I stayed in the game and played well and it worked out in my favor.”
In the semifinals on Saturday, Cako defeated Petra Niedermayerova of Kansas State, 6-4, 7-5.
With many close sets, Cako said she had to focus on her game plan and stay confident.
“The match isn’t over until it’s actually over and you shake hands,” Cako said. “Anything can happen, I just needed to keep a cool head and keep going forward.”
The Niedermayerova victory set up a finals match up with No. 2 Allie Will of Florida on Sunday.
Cako has played and lost to Will before and wanted redemption.
That would have to wait for another tournament.
Cako fell to Will in a close three-set match, going, 7-6, 1-6, 6-3.
Letcher said Cako is focusing on the positive outcomes.
“She lost the match but gained a lot of confidence in herself and that’s the big thing,” Letcher said.
Cako said that during the final match the crowd was great, adding to her excitement.
“It was fun having a good crowd out there and they were really into the match,” Cako said.
Despite the loss, she is happy with how she played.
“I definitely played a great match especially in the finals,” Cako said. “I have a lot of confidence coming out of that and just need to keep playing the way I’m playing.”
Head coach Sheila McInerney said that overall she is very happy with Cako’s results.
With her wins this weekend, Cako automatically qualifies for a spot in the USA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships in November.
Letcher said Cako is looking forward to going to N.Y. but isn’t getting ahead of herself.
“She has other team events that she’s got her mind set for first,” Letcher said.
Reach the reporter at dkmcinty@asu.edu
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