CARY, N.C. – Juniors Eva Alvarez Sande recorded two victories to advance to the qualifying round during Sunday’s second day of play at the 2024 ITA All-American Championships at the Cary Tennis Park.
In Sunday’s second round of the prequalifying draw, Alvarez Sande jumped out quick then held on in three sets to reach the third round. Facing Columbia’s Malak El Allami, Alvarez Sande had little trouble in the first set, taking it 6-1. In the second, El Allami rode a break of serve to take the second, 6-3, forcing a deciding set. There, the Cougar junior regained command of the match, breaking El Allami twice en route to a 6-1, 3-6, 6-2 victory.
In her third-round match, Alvarez Sande continued her quest as she defeated Oklahoma’s Salakthip Ounmang in three sets. After opening the match winning 6-1 in the first, Ounmang bounced back in the second, escaping with a second-set tiebreaker to force a deciding third set. In the third, Alvarez Sande wasted no time securing the win, as she cruised to a 6-1, 6-7, 6-1 victory. The win pushed her into Monday’s qualifying round.
Redshirt-junior Maxine Murphy, who Saturday pulled out a three-set win in her first round, fought hard before falling in two close sets to UCLA’s Olivia Center. A pair of breaks in each set handed Center a 7-5, 6-4 win over Murphy, who was playing her first collegiate tournament since the spring of 2023 due to injury.
In the consolation draw, senior Elyse Tse was dominating in her match, defeating Michigan State’s Liisa Vehvilainen, 6-0, 6-0.
In doubles play, the Cougar duo of Alvarez Sande and Murphy rallied form a set down to defeat the Texas duo of Vivian Ovrootsky and Shachf Lieberman in three sets. After dropping the first set 6-3, the Cougar pair rebounded for a 6-3 win in set two. In a tiebreaker for the third set, WSU pulled out a narrow 10-8 win to clinch the match.
Play continues Monday for Alvarez Sande as she begins action in the All-American Championships qualifying round.
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