Copas, Quevedo Pick Up Titles at CU Invitational
BOULDER, Colo. — Many times when you enter the first Fall Tournament of the season, it’s about getting the players’ feet wet, it’s about trying new things, and if you get a few wins, that’s a bonus.
There were an awful lot of bonuses for the New Mexico Lobo women’s tennis team over the weekend. Ruth Copas and freshman Danielle Quevedo won two of the three singles draws, and overall UNM went 15-8 in singles and 12-8 in doubles as the Lobos had a sensational weekend at the CU Invitational in Boulder, Colorado.
“I thought it was a great weekend, and the best part is we didn’t play our best tennis,” said head coach Stephanie Wooten-Quijada. “It was great opening competition for our six freshmen, and I’m really proud of Ruth and Danielle for winning their draws, and for Diana getting to the final as well. I think whether it was singles or doubles, we competed hard and showed some things. I’m excited for what’s ahead for us.”
Singles play was divided into three draws, with Copas and Diana Wong representing UNM in the Black Draw along with two players each from New Mexico State, Colorado and Oklahoma. Copas got the final by disposing of Louise Richardson of Colorado 6-1, 5-7, 6-1 and then Camila Romero of Oklahoma 6-1, 6-2.
In the bottom half of the draw, Diana Wong extended her 11-match winning streak from last year to 13, knocking out Rebecca Keijzerwaard of New Mexico State 6-0, 6-3 and then Annabelle Andrinopoulos of Colorado 6-7, 7-6, 6-4. That guaranteed a Lobo title with Wong facing her teammate Copas in the final.
The first set was tight throughout, with the teammates knowing each other from practice, and Wong took a tense 8-6 tiebreaker, but Copas then broke Diana three times in the second set for a 6-0 win, and got a break in the third set. That gave Copas a 6-7 (6-8), 6-0, 6-4 win, ending Wong’s streak at 13 and giving Copas, who played for Team Ireland in the Fed Cup this summer, the title.
UNM’s other title came in the Silver Draw. Danielle Quevedo, one of six freshmen playing in their first collegiate competition, opened with a 6-4, 6-0 win over Colorado’s Ilana Oleynik. In the same half, Yeu Lin “Polly” Chen defeated New Mexico State’s Helena Colvee 6-1, 6-2. That put Quevedo up against Chen, and she pulled out a three-set win, 6-1, 3-6, 6-1. That put Quevedo up in the final against Christiana Brigante of Oklahoma, winning fairly easily at 6-2, 6-0 for the title.
Also in the Sivler Draw was Lauren Rich, who lost her opening round match, but she bounced back to win twice in the back draw, beating Colorado’s Brigitte Beck 6-2, 6-4 and Oklahoma’s Nana Jabrzewski 6-2, 6-2. Natasha Munday didn’t play in the main draw, but went 2-1 with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Colvee and then a complete domination of Jabrzewski, winning 6-0, 6-0.
The only draw UNM didn’t win the title in was the Gold Draw, where Hsiang-Wen “Albie” Huang advanced out of the quarters with a 7-6, (9-7), 2-6, 6-2 win over NMSU’s Quinty Janssen. That set up a slightly confusing semifinal where Huang faced off with Linda Huang of Colorado. CU’s Huang was slightly better, winning 7-6, 6-3. Bronte Murgett for UNM lost her opening match but bounced back with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Yadira Rubio of New Mexico State.
In doubles, there were plenty of combinations for New Mexico as Wooten-Quijada mixed and matched her pairings, and overall picked up 12 wins, including a near perfect 7-1 mark on Sunday. Copas finished off a brilliant opening tournament by going 4-1 in doubles play, including teaming with fellow Draw winner Quevedo for a 6-3 win over Oklahoma’s Jabrzeweski and Simran Kaur Sethi 6-3.
Natasha Munday also went 4-1 in doubles along with Huang, and Murgett, Rich and Quevedo each went 3-2.