NMMI Sports Press
5-May-10

TUCSON, Arizona – The Karla Martinez and Akanesi Fa doubles combination was one win away from the finals in this year’s 2010 NJCAA Division 1 Women’s Tennis National Championships. They took the first set from ASA College, 7-5, but then lost the next two, 6-2, 6-4. The loss put an end to a great run in the tournament by the two Lady Broncos.

Here’s the round-by-round results for every singles and doubles match they played:

Singles
Karla Martinez (seeded 8th out of 31 among No.1 Singles players)
Round of 32 – defeated Rebekah Hegel (Elgin CC): 6-0, 6-1.
Round of 16 – defeated Leah Knight (Sam Snead CC): 6-2, 6-0.
Quarterfinals – lost to 2nd seeded Mariya Slupska (Tyler JC): 6-2, 6-4.
http://tennislink.usta.com/tournaments/Draws/EventDraw.aspx?T=87641&E=1
Earned three team points and finished as one of the top 8 players in the nation.

Akanesi Fa (unseeded among the 31 players competing at No. 2 singles)
Round of 32 – lost to 2nd seeded Nachell Proctor (Hillborough CC): 6-0, 6-2.�
Backdraw, 1st Round - won vs. Nathalie Ruester(Central Alabama CC): 8-0.
Backdraw, Quarterfinals – won vs. Rachel Hegel (Elgin CC): 8-0.
Backdraw, Semifinals – lost vs. Mariel Alvarez (North Central Texas): 8-3.
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/Draws/EventDraw.aspx?T=87641&E=3&D=C&S=F
Fa earned 1 team point for her two wins in the backdraw matches.

Doubles
Martinez/Fa (unseeded among the 31 teams playing No. 1 doubles)
Round of 32 – defeated Bia Miranda/Keri Huett (Abraham Baldwin AC): 6-4, 6-2.
Round of 16 – defeated 7th seeded Jaclyn Lahari, Jaclyn/Morgan Shaw (Collin County CC): 7-6 (4), 0-6, 7-5.
Quarterfinals – defeated 2nd seeded  Nadia Lee/Manuela Gomez (Lee College): 3-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Semifinals – lost vs. Tetiana Kovalska/Soizette Simmons (ASA Institute): 5-7, 6-0, 6-2.
http://tennislink.usta.com/Tournaments/Draws/EventDraw.aspx?T=87641&E=2
The three wins earned the Lady Broncos another four points, good for eight total and a team placement of 22nd in the nation. Also, Martinez/Fa finished as one of the four best teams in the nation in doubles for NJCAA women’s tennis.

Congratulations Cadets Fa and Martinez, and also to their head coach Zeljka Vidic for an excellent season, and a great run at the National Championship tournament.