Bruins Advance in Both Singles and Doubles Thursday at ITA Regionals

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On the opening day of the 2023 Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Ohio Valley Regional Championships in Knoxville, Tennessee, the Belmont University women's tennis team earned two first-round singles wins and a pair of doubles victories. Both freshman Vesa Gjinaj and junior Anastasiya Zholdakova collected singles wins Thursday, while the ninth-seeded doubles tandem of Zholdakova and sophomore Mariia Hlahola earned back-to-back 8-6 triumphs.
 
Beginning the day with singles, Gjinaj dropped only four games to Austin Peay's Luca Bohlen in the opening round with a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win. Zholdakova was tested against Butler's Katie Beavin but bounced back from a 6-4 set one loss with 6-4 and 6-2 second and third set victories.
 
In doubles action, Zholdakova and Hlahola shined. The Bruins' top pair defeated Louisville's Allie Gretkowski and Lika Persypkina in the round of 64 before topping Miami University's Sara Zalukar and Emilia Valentinsson in the round of 32.
 
Freshman Hana Sokolovic nearly pulled out a three-set first-round singles match but fell 6-4 in the third to Louisville's Germany Davis. Hlahola was unable to overcome 17th-seeded Zoe Hammond of Kentucky in her round of 128 matchup, dropping a 6-1, 7-6 (4) decision.
 
The freshman duo of Gjinaj and Sokolovic played a tightly-contested match with Memphis' Alice Amendola and Miriam Grosmann but were ultimately handed an 8-6 loss.
 
Doubles will get things underway Friday at the University of Tennessee's Barksdale Tennis Stadium and the Knoxville Racquet Club. Hlahola and Zholdakova are set to take on Purdue's Juana Larranaga and Calissa Dellabarca in the round of 16 at the Knoxville Racquet Club at 9 a.m. CT.
 
In the second round of the singles main draw, Gjinaj will face 17th-seeded Sofia Markova of East Tennessee State University at 10:30 a.m. CT at the Knoxville Racquet Club. Zholdakova will go up against the Lady Vols' Esther Adeshina, who is also seeded 17th, at Barksdale Tennis Stadium at 11:30 a.m. CT.
 
In the opening round of the consolation bracket at the Tyson Family Tennis Center, Hlahola will see Murray State's Natalie Slezakova at 11 a.m. CT as Sokolovic takes on Butler's Chase Metcalf.
 
All matches played on Tennessee's campus are being streamed live via PlaySight.
 
Belmont's full results from Thursday can be found below, along with the Bruins' Friday matchups.
 
2023 ITA Ohio Valley Regional Championships – Thursday's Results/Friday's Matches

Doubles
R64 – No. 9 Mariia Hlahola/Anastasiya Zholdakova (Belmont) def. Allie Gretkowski/Lika Persypkina (Louisville) 8-6
R64 – Alice Amendola/Miriam Grosmann (Memphis) def. Vesa Gjinaj/Hana Sokolovic (Belmont) 8-6
R32 – No. 9 Mariia Hlahola/Anastasiya Zholdakova (Belmont) def. Sara Zalukar/Emilia Valentinsson (Miami (OH)) 8-6
R16 – No. 9 Mariia Hlahola/Anastasiya Zholdakova (Belmont) vs. Juana Larranaga/Calissa Dellabarca (Purdue) – 9:00 a.m. CT (Knoxville Racquet Club)
Consolation R32Q – Vesa Gjinaj/Hana Sokolovic (Belmont) vs. Jana Rovira/Ralitsa Alexandrova (ETSU)

Singles
R128 – No. 17 Zoe Hammond (Kentucky) def. Mariia Hlahola (Belmont) 6-1, 7-6 (4)
R128 – Germany Davis (Louisville) def. Hana Sokolovic (Belmont) def. 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
R128 – Anastasiya Zholdakova (Belmont) def. Katie Beavin (Butler) 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
R128 – Vesa Gjinaj (Belmont) def. Luca Bohlen (Austin Peay) 6-3, 6-1
R64 – Vesa Gjinaj (Belmont) vs. No. 17 Sofia Markova (ETSU) – 10:30 a.m. CT (Knoxville Racquet Club)
R64 – Anastasiya Zholdakova (Belmont) vs. Esther Adeshina (Tennessee) – 11:30 a.m. CT (UT)
Consolation R64Q – Mariia Hlahola (Belmont) vs. Natalie Slezakova (Murray State) – 11:00 a.m. CT (Tyson Park)
Consolation R64Q – Hana Sokolovic (Belmont) vs. Chase Metcalf (Butler) – 11:00 a.m. CT (Tyson Park)
 
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