In Northwestern’s first chance to put Thursday’s upset loss to Georgia behind it, the team came away from the first day of the NCAA singles tournament with another disappointment.
No. 21 Cristelle Grier was upset by Marianna Yuferova of Virginia Commonwealth University on Monday, suffering a 1-6, 6-2, 7-5 loss in her first round matchup.
Grier took the first set easily, but she quickly fell into a 2-0 hole in the second. While she won the third game — a marathon that included a 25-minute deuce point — Grier felt it was the turning point that took her out of the match.
“After that I think I kind of had the wind knocked out of me,” Grier said. “Even though I won the game I was hoping it would give me a point to start rolling, and I think the heat really got to me. I just didn’t have the energy that I’m accustomed to having.”
No. 4 Audra Cohen fared better, coming away with a victory in straight sets over Washington’s Dea Sumantri 6-1, 6-2. Cohen advances to the round of 32 to face Carolin Walter of Baylor.
“I just went out and played a pretty solid match,” Cohen said. “I served pretty well and did what I had to do and go off the court. Today was not too bad at the office.”
While Grier is eliminated from the singles tournament, her season is not over. She and Cohen are seeded second in the NCAA doubles championship, which kicks off today. The nation’s No. 2 tandem is slated to play Gabriela Duch and Neyssa Etienne of South Florida at 2 p.m.
“Obviously, I’m disappointed in the short term,” Grier said. “But looking at the season as a whole, I’ve lost three matches this year, and we’ve just done a great job as a team.
“This year’s been fantastic, and hopefully Audra and I will cap it off with the doubles and her with the singles, and we’ll look forward to next year.”
The large scale of the NCAA doubles draw breeds unfamiliarity between early round matchups. Cohen and Grier readily admit they know almost nothing about their opponents.
“They’re both shorter than me, which I was very happy to see,” Grier said. “Not many players are shorter than me … but that has nothing to do with tennis.”
Cohen has acknowledged that as she moves on in singles, she must maintain her focus regardless of whom she plays. But she will have a confidence boost going for her as the tournament moves on.
On Sunday, Cohen was named the ITA National Rookie of the Year.
“She clearly was the best freshman in the country this year,” Pollard said. “She’s the only freshman to win a national tournament. She’s obviously had a phenomenal year, and I hope she continues this week.”
Reach David Kalan at [email protected].
