The North Carolina women’s tennis team concluded play at the Oracle ITA Fall National Championship in Newport Beach, California, on Sunday when senior Sara Daavettila captured the singles title in two sets with victories of 7-6 (5) and 6-1 during the final match.
What happened?
In singles competition, North Carolina started the competition 4-0 on Wednesday, highlighted by Daavettila’s win with scores of 6-1 and 6-3 in the first round. Senior Alexa Graham also won her first round decisively with scores of 6-2 and 6-1, and sophomore Cameron Morra won convincingly with scores of 6-1 in both sets. With scores of 6-1, 6-3, junior Alle Sanford advanced as well.
In doubles competition, the duo of Daavettila and Graham lost their round, 7-6 (6) and 7-6 (5). However, the pairing of senior Makenna Jones and Morra made a comeback to advance in doubles, 0-6, 6-1, 10-7.
By the end of Thursday's matches, three Tar Heels had advanced to the round of 16. Graham won her match, 6-3, 3-6, 7-5, after being forced to a tiebreaker third set. Similar to her first round, Daavettila quickly won her match, 6-2, 6-3. Morra cruised to victory as well when she won both of her sets by a score of 6-1.
Sanford was the lone singles player for UNC to fall in the second round, losing in three sets, 6-1, 5-7, 6-4.
The duo of Jones and Morra reached the doubles quarterfinals after winning in back-to-back sets, 6-2, 6-4, on Thursday. After losing on Wednesday, the duo Daavettila and Graham competed in the consolation doubles bracket on Thursday, winning their first match, 6-0, 6-3.
North Carolina lost two of its remaining three players in singles competition on Friday. After winning the first set, Graham was bested in her matchup with Haley Giavara of California, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, and Morra was defeated in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1. Daavettila won her match in the round of 16 with scores of 6-4 and 6-3 and advanced to the semifinals behind a three-set victory in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 4-6, 6-2.
In the doubles quarterfinals, Morra and Jones lost their matchup in straight sets, 7-5, 6-4. The duo of Daavettila and Graham advanced to the semifinals of the consolation doubles bracket with a victory of 6-0 in the first set, and the retirement of Oklahoma State's Dariya Detkovskaya and Bunyawi Thamchaiwat in the second set. The UNC pair went on to lose in back-to-back sets during the semifinals, 7-5, 6-4.
