Top performance wraps up fall season

Friday, November 12

Las Vegas, Nev.

Grand Canyon

Watanabe Classic

Photo by: Skyler Coblentz

11/15/2021 4:40:00 PM | Women's Tennis

Lopes take home 3 flight titles in final event until spring

By: Jerob Moon

LAS VEGAS – The Grand Canyon women's tennis team put in its best performance in the final event of the fall season at UNLV's Watanabe Classic last weekend.

The Lopes won two singles flights, along with the top doubles flights, with junior Natasha Puehse and sophomore Santa Strombacha.

In the top singles flight, Puehse won all three of her matches for her first singles title of the fall. The Scottsdale, Arizona, native defeated Zara Lennon of Long Beach State 6-3, 6-4 and Bojana Marinkov from Texas Tech in the semifinal 6-2, 6-4. In the final, Puehse took down another Red Raider, defeating Cristina Tigela 6-4, 7-5.

Strombacha, in the third flight, won her matches in straight sets. In the first round, the German defeated Texas Tech's Camryn Stepp 7-5, 6-4 before winning by retirement against UNLV's Shir Azran after leading 4-3 in the semifinal. In the championship match, Strombacha won 7-5, 6-3 against Long Beach State's Claire Le Du.

In doubles, Puehse and Strombacha teamed up to take the top flight title with three wins over doubles pairs from Texas Tech and Long Beach State.

Other Lopes also turned in strong performances over the three-day event. Graduate student Fabienne Schimdt picked up two singles wins in the second flight while newcomer Sara Rakim was the runner-up in the fifth flight.

The Lopes will enjoy a break from competition until January, when they begin their WAC regular-season and tournament title defenses.

Watabane Classic

Singles

Flight 1
Natasha Puehse (GCU) def. Zara Lennon (LBSU) 6-3, 6-4
Natasha Puehse (GCU) def. Bojana Marinkov (TTU) 6-2, 6-4
Natasha Puehse (GCU) def. Cristina Tiglea (TTU) 6-4, 7-5

Flight 2
Fabienne Schmidt (GCU) def. Sheena Masuda (LBSU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
Zita Kovacs (UNLV) def. Fabienne Schmidt (GCU) 6-4, 6-2
Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) def. Fabienne Schmidt (GCU) 6-2, 6-1

Flight 3
Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Camryn Stepp (TTU) 7-5, 6-4
Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Shir Azran (UNLV) 4-3, retired
Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Claire Le Du (LBSU) 7-5, 6-3

Flight 4
Cindy Hu (UNLV) def. Valentina Del Marco (GCU) 6-1, 6-4
Valentina Del Marco (GCU) def. Andreea Ciornei (LBSU) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6
Valentina Del Marco (GCU) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska (LBSU) 6-4, 6-3
Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) def. Autum Prudhomme (GCU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Autum Prudhomme (GCU) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska (LBSU) 7-5, 6-2
Autum Prudhomme (GCU) def. Andreea Ciornei (LBSU) 6-3, 6-2

Flight 5
Sara Rakim (GCU) def. Sara Alajbegovic (UNLV) 6-2, 6-2
Coco Zhao (UNLV) def. Sara Rakim (GCU) 6-2, 6-2
Coco Zhao (UNLV) def. Aline Buhr (GCU) 6-1, 6-2
Aline Buhr (GCU) def. Leslie Fujitani (UNLV) 6-1, 6-2
Aline Buhr (GCU) def. Jane Dorny (DSU) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles

Flight 1
Puehse/Strombacha (GCU) def. Tiglea/Main (TTU) 6-4
Puehse/Strombacha (GCU) def. Masuda/Homolkova (LBSU) 6-1
Puehse/Strombacha (GCU) def. Horwood/Goncharova (UTAH) 6-4

Flight 2
Schmidt/Prudhomme (GCU) def. Damron/Dorny (DSU) 6-0
Kovacs/Fang (UNLV) def. Schmidt/Prudhomme (GCU) 6-2
Hu/Aher (UNLV) def. Schmidt/Prudhomme (GCU) 6-4