University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Tennis Trio Concludes Play at World University Games
July 13, 2019 | Men's Tennis, Women's Tennis
NAPLES, Italy โ Three players and one coach from the UCLA men's and women's tennis teams represented their school and the United States of America at the 2019 Summer Universiade, taking part in events from July 5-July 12.
Guided by women's associate head coach Rance Brown, the trio of Abi Altick, Sophie Bendetti and Keegan Smith racked up 10 wins in 15 matches played and at least one each in the men's singles, women's singles, women's doubles and mixed doubles events. Altick swept through the women's singles consolation bracket to earn a medal, while Smith advanced to the men's singles quarterfinal round. The doubles pairs of Altick-Bendetti and Altick-Smith each recorded a first-round win.
Altick and Bendetti served up a convincing doubles win against Kubareva-Paulenka of Belarus, 6-3, 6-2, to start strong. Their time would be stopped against Arbuthnott and Hutchinson of Great Britain, 6-4, 6-2, the next time out.
It was a tough start to singles play for the women, as Altick and Bendetti each dropped a close match in the first two days. Bendetti engaged Pija Brglez of Belarus in a tit-for-tat first set before dropping a 7-5, 6-2 decision. Altick, meanwhile, forced a third set against Russia's Victoria Kan. The Bruin eventually fell by a 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 score, but would play on in consolation action.
Altick was unfazed by her first-round loss, putting together a convincing performance in her first backdraw match. The Monroe, La. native dropped just one game against Erinn Dela Cruz of the Philippines, registering a 6-1, 6-0 round-of-32 win. She followed with another resounding victory, this time against Veronica Koberlingova of Slovakia, moving into the final eight. Korean Yu Jin Ahn posed a stiff test for Altick, but the Bruin prevailed again. That 7-5, 6-4 effort was followed by another close one in the semifinal round, where Altick narrowly edged Livia Kraus of Austria behind two tiebreakers. After Altick delivered a 7-6(6) first-set result, Kraus countered to force the third-set breaker, which the Bruin would collect. Then, in the final, Altick took six of seven first-set games from Vaidehi Chaudhari of India to set the tone. Chauhari forced a second-set tiebreaker, but Altick proved too much.
Congratulations to Abi Altick of UCLA and @USATeam_, the #Napoli2019 consolation singles champion!#GoBruins pic.twitter.com/86uVGyNvoK
โ UCLA Women's Tennis (@uclawtennis) July 12, 2019
For good measure, Altick added a mixed doubles win, teaming with Smith to hold off Ortenzi-Piludu of Italy by a 7-6(6), 6-2 score.
Individually, Smith impressed in singles play. The San Diego native got started by knocking off Ukraine's Vladyslav Orlov, 6-1, 3-6, 6-3. It was an easier go of it against Kazakhstan's Grigoriy Lomakin, who Smith dealt a 6-1, 6-4 defeat. There was another straight-set result in the round of 16, where the Bruin kept Hong Kong's Jackie Tang at bay. Smith turned in a 6-2, 6-3 victory to set up a quarterfinal-round match against Khumoyun Sultanov of Uzbekistan. It was there that Smith's run came to a close, as Sultanov posted a 6-1, 6-2 victory en route to the silver medal.
2019 Summer Universiade
7/5-7/12/2019 at Naples, Italy
Men's Singles
64 - Keegan Smith (USA) def. Vladyslav Orlov (UKR) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
32 - Keegan Smith (USA) def. Grigoriy Lomakin (KAZ) 6-1, 6-4
16 - Keegan Smith def. Jackie Tang (HKG) 6-2, 6-3
QF - Khumoyun Sultanov (UZB) def. Keegan Smith (USA) 6-1, 6-2
Women's Singles
64 - Victoria Kan (RUS) def. Abi Altick (USA) 6-1, 3-6, 6-3
64 - Pija Brglez (SLO) def. Sophie Bendetti (USA) 7-5, 6-2
Women's Singles Consolation
32 - Abi Altick (USA) def. Erinn Dela Cruz (PHI) 6-1, 6-0
16 - Abi Altick (USA) def. Veronika Koberlingova (SVK) 6-2, 4-1
QF - Abi Altick (USA) def. Yu Jin Ahn (KOR) 7-5, 6-4
SF - Abi Altick (USA) def. Livia Kraus (AUT) 7-6(6), 4-6, 1-0(5)
C - Abi Altick (USA) def. Vaidehi Chaudhari (IND) 6-1, 7-6(6)
Women's Doubles
32 - Altick/Bendetti (USA) def. Kubareva/Paulenka (BLR) 6-3, 6-2
16 - Arbuthnott/Hutchinson (GBR) def. Altick/Bendetti (USA) 6-4, 6-2
Mixed Doubles
32 - Altick/Smith (USA) def. Ortenzi/Piludu (ITA) 7-6(6), 6-2
16 - Joncour/Robbe (FRA) def. Altick/Smith (USA) 0-0
