Nov. 24, 2009

(San Luis Obispo, CA) - San Francisco junior Cecilia Gratian won three singles matches on her way to a No. 2 Flight Championship at the Cal Poly Invitational this past weekend. Overall, the Dons took 11 victories over opponents from Cal Poly, UC Santa Barbara, and Loyola Marymount.

Friday:

In singles play on Day one of the three day event, Gratian defeated Cal Poly's Diane Filip in three sets, 3-6, 6-0, 6-4. Sophomore Julia Wartenburger also earned a win, taking CP's Suzie Matzenauer to three sets, 6-4, 2-6, 6-1.

Singles

Wartenburger (USF) def. Matzenauer (CP), 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
Gratian (USF) def. Filip (CP), 3-6, 6-0, 6-4
Wong (CP) def. McMahon (USF), 6-4, 6-2
Lee (CP) def. Mekpoh (USF), 6-2, 6-2
Davis (CP) def. Reed (USF), 6-1, 6-1
Markhoff (CP) def. Gaitan (USF)

Doubles

Matzenauer/Blalock (CP) def. McMahon/Wartenburger (USF), 8-2
Wong/Lee (CP) def. Mekpoh/Gratian (USF), 8-1
Markhoff/Filip (CP) def. Gaitan/Reed (USF), 8-4

Saturday:

On Day two, USF took on UC Santa Barbara, winning three singles and one doubles match. In singles play, Gratian earned her second victory, taking down Asagi Onaga 5-7, 6-4, 6-2. Freshman Blair Reed took her first win of the weekend, defeating Alexandra McIntosh in two sets 7-6, 6-3. Also pulling down a victory, sophomore Andrea Gaitan defeated Mimi Huggins 6-4, 4-6, 7-6.

In doubles, Wartenburger and Gratian took a 9-8 victory over Onaga and Bryanna Ojeda.

Singles

Gratian (USF) def. Onagi (UCSB), 5-7, 6-4, 6-2
Lozano (UCSB) def. Wartenberger (USF), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
Gledden (UCSB) def. Mekpoh (USF), 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Reed (USF) def. McIntosh (USF), 7-6, 6-3
Gaitan (USF) def. Huggins (UCSB), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6

Wartenberger/Gratian (USF) def. Onaga/Ojeda (UCSB), 9-8
Lozano/Gledden (UCSB) def. McMahon/Mekpoh (USF), 8-3
McIntosh/Cano def. Reed/Gaitan (USF), 8-2

Sunday:

On the final day of the tournament, the Dons took on conference foe Loyola Marymount and also Cal State Bakersfield, taking four singles wins and sweeping the Lions and Runners in doubles.

Gratian took her third consecutive singles win. Gratian had taken the first set 6-2, and was on her way to a second set victory (3-2) before Elisaveta Pironkova retired from the match. With the three wins, Gratian earned the Flight 2 Championship.

Wartenburger defeated Jane Pringle in straight sets, 6-3, 6-0. Sophomore Alana McMahon also took a straight set victory, 6-2, 6-2 over Bliss Nixon. Rounding out the Dons four singles wins was junior Jessy Mekpoh, who defeated a Julian Mannix from CSUB 6-1, 6-1.

In doubles play, Mekpoh and McMahon defeated Nixon and Maria Garcia-Planas Albert 8-2, while Reed and Gaitan earned the 8-4 victory over Veronica Dimas and Mannix.

Singles

Wartenburger (USF) def. Pringle (LMU), 6-3, 6-0
Gratian (USF) def. Pironkova (LMU), 6-2, 3-2 (ret.)
McMahon (USF) def. Nixon (LMU), 6-2, 6-2
Mekpoh (USF) def. Mannix (CSUB), 6-1, 6-1
McPike (CP) def. Reed (USF), 6-1, 6-3
Garcia-Planas (LMU) def. Gaitan (USF), 6-1, 6-2

Doubles

Mekpoh/McMahon (USF) def. Nixon/Garcia-Planas (LMU), 8-2
Reed/Gaitan (USF) def. Dimas/Mannix (CSUB), 8-4

Flight Champions:

Singles
No. 1: Brittany Blalock (CP)
No. 2 Cecilia Gratian (USF)
No. 3: Annabel Gledden (UCSB)
No. 4: Bryanna Ojeda (UCSB)
No. 5: Jocelyn Davis (CP)
No. 6: Amy Markhoff (CP)