Tulane's Smekodub Wins Omni Hotels Southwest Singles Title
10/21/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Oct. 21, 2002
FORT WORTH, Texas - Tulane's Julie Smekodub took home a pair of crowns from the Omni Hotels Southwest Regional Championships held at TCU this past weekend. Smekodub along with her doubles partner Jenny Kuhn and the other singles finalist, Vida Mulec of Baylor, will advance to the Omni Hotels/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships held Nov. 7-10 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, Texas.
Smekodub battled a tough second set in the semis against Kendra Strohm of Texas to move into the afternoon's final with her 6-3, 7-5 win. Mulec's semifinal match against Liga Geme of Arkansas State took over three hours to play, but the Bear came out victorious (3-6, 6-4, 6-2). Smekodub and Mulec traded games early in the finals before Smekodub took control to win, 6-3, 6-3. The second set was moved to the indoor courts when the never-far-away rain made a repeat appearance.
TCU's Paty Aburto and Rosa Perez took on Rocio Fantilli and Lauren Seaman of LSU in the first doubles semifinal of the day. The pairs were evenly matched in the early going, trading games until the score was 4-4. The Frogs made the run, though, winning the last four games to take the match, 8-4. Kuhn and Smekodub met last year's champions, Beverly Dawson and Irina Tereschenko of Texas Tech, in the second semi. Neither team could break out on any sort of run until the very end when Tulane won the last two games to win, 9-7, and move into the finals against TCU. The Green Wave duo was in total control of the doubles final, defeating Aburto and Perez, 8-0.
Complete results from today's action can be found below.
Main Draw Singles
Semifinals - Monday
(1) Julie Smekodub (TU) def. (17) Kendra Strohm (UT) 6-3, 7-5
(6) Vida Mulec (BU) def. (17) Liga Geme (ASU) 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Finals - Monday
(1) Julie Smekodub (TU) def. (6) Vida Mulec (BU) 6-3, 6-3 (2nd half of match played indoors)
Main Draw Doubles
Semifinals - Monday
(9) Kuhn/Smekodub (TU) def. (1) Dawson/Tereschenko (TTU) 9-7 (match played indoors)
(2) Aburto/Perez (TCU) def. (9) Fantilli/Seaman (LSU) 8-4
Finals - Monday
(9) Kuhn/Smekodub (TU) def. (2) Aburto/Perez (TCU) 8-0 (match played indoors)
