Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
Day 3
Freshman Huang Captures Gold Draw Singles Title At CU Invite
September 30, 2017 | Tennis
BOULDER - Colorado freshman Linda Huang captured the Gold Draw singles championship at the CU Invitational on Saturday. Play will wrap up with the fourth day of competition on Saturday with two more rounds of doubles beginning at 9 a.m. at the CU South Campus Tennis Complex.
Huang is the first CU freshman since current junior Annabelle Andrinopoulos in 2015 to go 3-0 at the CU Invitational.
Altogether, the Buffs went 6-2 in singles action and 3-0 in doubles on Saturday.
BLACK DRAW: Andrinopoulos earned a third-place finish, winning 6-2, 6-4 over Lindsay Harlas (New Mexico State). Louis Ronaldson lost her consolation match in straight sets.
GOLD DRAW: Huang had to finish her semifinals match that had been suspended Friday night, winning 7-6, 6-3 over Hsiang-Wen Huang (New Mexico). In the finals, she matched up against teammate Jeannez Daniel. After winning the first set 6-2, Huang earned the victory after Daniel retired with an injury following the first game.
In the third-place match, Chloe Hule won a marathon match 6-0, 6-7 (4), 6-4 over Hsiang-Wen Huang.
SILVER DRAW: Brigitte Beck and Ilana Oleynik both won their consolation matches in straight sets. Oleynik defeated New Mexico's Natasha Munday 6-3, 6-3 and Beck won 6-2, 6-1 over New Mexico State's Helena Colvee.
DOUBLES: Beck and Oleynik cruised to a 6-1 victory over Simran Kaur Sethi and Nina Jabrzewski (Oklahoma). Andrinopoulos and Huang edged Yue Lin Chen and Danielle Quevedo from New Mexico 7-6 (3). Hule and Ronaldson defeated Helena Colvee and Quinty Janssens (New Mexico) 6-2.
NOTES: Daniel saw her eight-match winning streak dating back to last season snapped when she retired with an injury.
RESULTS:
Black Draw
Third Place
Annabelle Andrinopoulos (CU) def. Lindsay Harlas (NMSU) 6-2, 6-4
Consolation
Malene Stripp (OU) def. Louise Ronaldson (CU) 6-4, 6-3
Gold Draw
Semifinals
Linda Huang (CU) def. Hsiang-Wen Huang (UNM) 7-6, 6-3
Finals
Huang (CU) def. Jeannez Daniel (CU) 6-2, 1-0, retired
Third Place
Chloe Hule (CU) def. Hsiang-Wen Huang (UNM) 6-0, 6-7 (4), 6-4
Silver Draw
Consolation
Ilana Oleynik (CU) def. Natasha Munday (UNM) 6-3, 6-3
Brigitte Beck (CU) def. Helena Colvee (NMSU) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles
Third Round
Beck/Oleynik (CU) def. Simran Kaur Sethi/Nina Jabrzewski (OU) 6-1
Andrinopoulos/Huang (CU) def. Yue Lin Chen/Danielle Quevedo (UNM) 7-6 (3)
Hule/Ronaldson (CU) def. Helena Colvee/Quinty Janssens (NMSU) 6-2
POSTMATCH QUOTES:
Nicole Kenneally, head coach
On the team's play on Saturday
"Third day of the tournament, most people who've spent a lot of time on court have played quality tennis, but their bodies are also feeling it. Overall, I think our quality of play was pretty good. Obviously we still want it to be higher, but the standard that we're maintaining through a long period of time is good."
On the doubles teams going undefeated
"We're trying new teams, everybody else is trying new teams. To put some people together for the first or second time, other than Chloe and Lou, everybody else, it's kind of like their first or second time [and that's a challenge]. You never know how that will play out. There's a good opportunity there for us to continue to grow in our doubles play. As we get to the spring season, that doubles point is very important. We're going some things well and we can see what we still have to work on."
On Huang winning her first collegiate tournament
"It was fantastic. She's come in here. She's adjusted well and made a really easy adjustment into the team. I think that's a pad on the back to her family and her upbringing and her high school experience at Meriden and her playing a lot of team tennis format is a big advantage. This is an individual tournament, but at the same time, I think for her, it's showing a lot."
Linda Huang, freshman
On winning her first career tournament
"I was really sick for the past week so I was out for a week or so. And then to actually come out here and win feels really good. I had a slow start in the early matches, but the final was good and I played a bit better. I just focused on the basics. It feels good to be undefeated.
On playing a teammate in the finals
"I'm kind of used to it. Back in high school I played a lot of teammates in tournaments inside and outside of school."
On how the team played today
"The team played really, really well. We were undefeated in doubles, all three pairs. We worked really well as a team and played well."
Players Mentioned
