The ASU women’s tennis team opened up its season Friday at the Wolverine Invitational. Friday was exclusively singles play, in which the Sun Devils went a combined 10-3.
Coach Sheila McInerney said she was pleased with the outcome of the first day of match play, though she said improvements could be made.
“We had to play two matches, so that worked out really well,” McInerney said. “We split the singles versus DePaul. We still need to do better than that.”
McInerney said she thought DePaul was a tougher opponent than Tulane, but didn’t discredit the Green Wave.
The first match of the day for ASU pitted two ITA ranked players against each other. No. 81 sophomore Desirae Krawczyk defeated Tulane’s No. 53 senior Klara Vyskocilova in three sets. But that wasn’t Krawczyk's closest match of the day. In her second match, she faced DePaul junior Jasmin Kling, losing the first set, but winning the next two in a come-from-behind victory.
“(Desirae) played really well. It was a good match,” McInerney said. “Depaul’s top two are extremely talented. It was high quality tennis.”
Krawczyk was one of three Sun Devils to go 2-0 on the first day of the tournament. Sophomore Stephanie Vlad and freshman Kassidy Jump also went undefeated on the day. Neither Jump nor Vlad lost a set.
McInerney said she was impressed with the way Jump played in her first collegiate tournament.
“She’s a gamer,” McInerney said. “She was ready on match day and she plays to compete.”
Tomorrow presents more of a challenge for Jump, though, according to McInerney. She’ll face Notre Dame in another singles match.
“She’ll have a tough one tomorrow,” McInerney said. “The girl from Notre Dame she plays tomorrow should be quite challenging for her.”
ASU’s other freshman, Gussie O’Sullivan, won her first match against Tulane sophomore Jacqui Katz but cramped up, causing her to miss her second match because of the injury. Katz had only lost three matches last year.
McInerney said she was pleased with the play of the freshmen, though she was disappointed O’Sullivan only got to play one match.
“I thought the freshmen came out and did well,” McInerney said. “(O’Sullivan) had a really long first match and she played well – but she cramped up a little bit, so she only played one match.”
ASU will play Purdue and Michigan in doubles to open the second day of the tournament. Later, the Sun Devils play Notre Dame in singles.
McInerney sees Saturday as a tougher day than Friday, particularly because of the depth of Notre Dame’s lineup.
“We play Notre Dame in singles, and they’re going to be stronger than DePaul and Tulane,” McInerney said. “They’re deep all the way down the lineup. They don’t have any superstars, but they’re six is just about the same quality as their No. 1.
In doubles, the Sun Devils will send pairings of Krawczyk and O’Sullivan, Leighann Sahagun and Joanna Smith, and Vlad and Ebony Panaho to face the Boilermakers and Wolverines.
ASU vs. Tulane
No. 81 Desirae Krawczyk (ASU) def. No. 53 Klara Vyskocilova (Tulane), 6-4, 3-6, 6-4Stephanie Vlad (ASU) def. Jenny Hois (Tulane), 6-4, 6-2
Leighann Sahagun (ASU) def. Ipek Birol (Tulane), 6-5, 6-1
Gussie O'Sullivan (ASU) def. Jacqui Katz (Tulane), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
Ebony Panoho (ASU) def. Meredith Maltby (Tulane), 6-1, 6-4
Kassidy Jump (ASU) def. Emily Dvorak (Tulane), 6-2, 6-3
Joanna Smith (ASU) def. Margaux Hyman (Tulane), 6-2, 6-1
ASU vs. DePaul
Stephanie Vlad (ASU) def. Ana Vladutu (DePaul), 6-5 (5), 6-4Patricia Fargas (DePaul) def. Leighann Sahagun (ASU), 6-4, 6-1
No. 81 Desirae Krawczyk (ASU) def. Jasmin Kling (ASU), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 Kelsey Lawson (DePaul) def. Ebony Panoho (ASU), 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 Jarret Fisher (DePaul) def. Joanna Smith (ASU), 6-2, 6-0 Kassidy Jump (ASU) def. Rebeca Mitrea (DePaul), 6-3, 6-4
Reach the reporter at ewebeck@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @EWeebs
