CAMBRIDGE, MA (September 13, 2024) -- The Tufts University women's tennis team saw four players move into the Round of 16 in the singles' draw Friday in the first day of action at the 2024 MIT Invitational. Tufts also saw sisters
Melanie Woodbury and
Stephanie Woodbury move in to the doubles quarterfinals on Saturday.
In singles, Tufts showcased its stellar new crop of newcomer talent as junior transfer
Ellie Gershaw picked up a win in the Round of 31, knocking off MIT's Anastasia Samets 6-2, 6-2 to move into the Round of 16. Gershaw will battle Bowdoin College's Jamilah Karah Saturday morning.
Tufts' first-year
Athena Li was a seeded player in the singles' draw, as she won her first match 6-1. 6-3. Li will now battle her teammate in the Round of 16, as
Natalie Hu cruised to a 6-3, 6-3 straight set win in the Round of 32. First-year
Melanie Woodbury, seeded No. 3 in the single's draw, outlasted Cody Huang 1-6, 6-4, 10-8 in the Round of 32. She will now play Alaina Kolli of MIT in the next round.
First-year
Nadia Khera won her first set against Bowdoin's Julia Ross 6-4, but had to fight in a super-tiebreaker to take the victory 6-4, 6-7, 11-9.
First-year
Brooklyn Bindas fell in her first action on Friday 6-4, 6-0 to Caroline Stuhlfault of Bowdoin, while transfer
Evelina Anastasi posted a prelim win over Alicen Liu of MIT 8-7 (1), but would fall to Amherst's Tina She in the Round of 32 6-3, 7-5. Bindas was a winner in her consolation draw match 6-2, 6-3.
First-year
Ryan Wurhman also earned her first collegiate victory in the prelims, knocking off Candice Ballarin 8-1. Wuhrman would fight against the draw's top seed in Daliala Friedman of Amherst before falling 6-3, 6-2. Junior
Nikki Kintiroglou also was a winner in the prelims with an 8-4 victory, but fell to No. 4 seed Fiona Lee of MIT 6-3, 6-0.
In doubles, the Woodbury sisters, who came into the day seeded No. 4, picked up an 8-5 win over Bowdoin's Frati and Sun. Li and Hu would dropped their initial doubles match 8-1 in the Round of 16, while
Rachel Cranley and Bindas were outlasted by a Bowdoin pairing 8-7 (5).
Gershaw and Kintiroglou picked up a strong 8-4 win in the prelims over Sun and Liu of MIT, but were upended by the No. 2 seed from Amherst, 8-4.
Action restarts Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with singles action, with doubles' play continuing at 1 p.m.
--JUMBOS--
