Ormeño Ruiz Sweeps Two Top-100 Opponents At All-American Championships

PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. - Colorado senior Nuria Ormeño Ruiz breezed past two top-100 opponents on Tuesday in the Qualifying Draw of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Ormeño Ruiz swept 74th-ranked Gabriela Porubin from Wichita State 6-1, 6-4, and then defeated 33rd-ranked Andie Daniell from Alabama 6-1, 6-4 in the second round.

Ormeño Ruiz, ranked No. 110 nationally, never trailed until the second set of the second match, going up a break immediately in both sets against Porubin and in the first set against Daniell. She led Porubin 3-0 in the first set before dropping her only game of the set. One key moment in the match came when she was up 4-1, but trailed 40-15 in the game. Ormeño Ruiz rallied back with three straight points to take the game and go up 5-1.

In the second set, it was all square at 1-1 before Ormeño Ruiz took control by winning the next three games for a 4-1 lead. The two players traded games the rest of the match as Ormeño Ruiz held on for a 6-4 victory.

Against Daniell, Ormeño Ruiz again jumped out to a 2-0 lead before dropping her only game of the first set and winning the final four games for a 6-1 first-set victory. She took the first game of Set Two before Daniell took three straight games for a 3-1 lead. Ormeño Ruiz battled back to break Daniell in the next game and then dropped just one game the rest of the match.

Daniell is the second-highest ranked opponent Ormeño Ruiz has defeated in her career after upsetting 27th-ranked Lauren Marker from Arizona last spring. It's also the first time she's defeated back-to-back nationally-ranked opponents.

Ormeño Ruiz is set to face Syracuse's Gabriela Knutson at 12:45 p.m. MT on Wednesday. The winner will advance to Thursday's Main Draw at the All-American Championships. Ormeño Ruiz would be just the eighth CU player in history to compete in the Main Draw at the All-American Championships.

POSTMATCH QUOTES
Nicole Kenneally, head coach
On Ormeño Ruiz's play on Tuesday
"Nuria played the cleanest tennis I've seen her play. As a senior, that's how we want her to be playing. She played two quality opponents. The first [one], the last time they played really got Nuria good. Today [Nuria] got her good. And the [second player] from Alabama has had a great college career so far, one of those players who is consistently up there in the rankings. Nuria really just kind of took it to her. Nothing fazed her. She just went out there and played her game and I'm just really proud of how she played and how composed she stayed in moments of pressure. It was great tennis to watch."

On the great starts to each set
"The only time she was down today was in the second set of the second match when she got down 2-1 and then got down 3-1. Like I said, she stayed really composed. I think she definitely got good starts in every set that she did play except for that fourth set. I think that surprised [her opponents] a little bit. She made them play early and made them [work], so when they did win, they really had to earn it. And then she came at them again. She didn't really let up. Whether she was winning or losing points, she kept coming after them. She didn't back off the ball, she just kept playing her game."

Tuesday's Riviera/ITA All-American Championships - Qualifying
First Round
Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (110) (CU) def. Gabriela Porubin (74) (Wichita State), 6-1, 6-4
Second Round
Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (110) (CU) def. Andie Daniell (33) (Alabama), 6-1, 6-4

Wednesday's Riviera/ITA All-American Championships - Qualifying
Final Round
Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (110) (CU) vs. Gabriela Knutson (59) (Syracuse), 11:45 a.m. PT/12:45 p.m. MT

Ormeño Ruiz Sweeps Two Top-100 Opponents At All-American Championships

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Players Mentioned

Nuria Ormeño Ruiz