Semifinals Set @USTAProCircuit Tennis Classic of Macon, GA
MACON, Georgia, (October 11, 2013) Ask ButlerCars.com Tennis Classic tournament director Eric Hayes what his favorite day of tournament week is, and you will hear him say, “they all a great, but Friday, when all the quarterfinals are played is special.”
“For many of the players, Friday is the day that determines whether they had a successful week or not,” offers up Hayes. “If they win, in many cases, they earn enough points to significantly boost their ranking.”
Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri is looking to boost her ranking back up to where it was before she injured her ankle back in February. Eikeri was approaching the No. 250 mark in the world rankings when she sustained an injury.
Now, she has put three great matches together in Macon and feels good about her game.
Playing almost flawless tennis, Eikeri took down American and seventh seed Allie Kiick in a little over an hour.
“The first set was perfect,” Eikeri said of the 6-0, 6-3 victory. “I wasn’t making any errors and everything was perfect in that first set.”
Eikeri was happy with the quick victory, that will allow her to spend the rest of Friday resting and recovering.
Eikeri said her confidence has risen since her first round upset over second seeded Michelle Larcher De Brito.
“It has helped my confidence, beating a player like that- it makes me feel like I can beat anyone.”
Eikeri will next face Anna Tatishvili of Georgia, not the state of Georgia, but the Republic of Georgia. Tatishvili, a former world No. 50 took out two-time NCAA singles champ Nicole Gibbs 6-1, 6-3 in a match where Gibbs frequently chided herself for unforced errors.
Tatishvili noticed her opponent Gibbs, get visibly frustrated, but she didn’t let it affect her game.
“I just try to focus on myself and I think it was because her serve was a little off today,” stated the 23-year old from Tbilisli, Georgia.
In the other semifinals, tournament top seed Ajla Tomljanovic jumped on American Julia Boserup quickly, winning the first set 6-2, but she had to hold on in the second, taking it 7-5.
“It was 6-2, 5-2, playing very solidly,” explained Tomljanovic. “But I have to give credit to her, she really stepped it up and made it more difficult for me to miss some shots I shouldn’t have- but that’s tennis.”
Tomljanovic will face American Madison Brengle in her semifinal match. Brengle defeated fellow American Jacqueline Cako of Seattle, Washington.
In doubles semifinals action, Emily Harman and Elizabeth Lumpkin defeated Lauren Embree and Allie Kiick and the other doubles semi went three sets with the team of Kristi Boxx and Abigail Guthrie defeating Boserup and Samantha Crawford.
The two singles semifinals will take place today starting at 11 am.
—R. Limpert
Tennis Atlantic 