INDIAN WELLS, C.A. – The Tigers embarked on their first day at the Duel in the Desert in Indian Wells. Multiple athletes had great days, defeating two Kansas Jayhawks doubles teams and 4 single players.
“Today was a fantastic start for our team,” head coach Boomer Saia said. “We came out, set the tone in doubles, and parlayed that into our singles play. I was incredibly proud of the team committing to what we have been talking about as a team. Specifically, our team goals are controlling the controllable, being gritty, and having great energy. We did all of those things well today in each spot. I was pleased, and it was a great starting point, as it helps us take the necessary steps for tomorrow.”
Starting the day off, Jenna Thompson and Eleni Louka defeated Van Vuren and Gracie Mulville and Heike Janse Van Vuuren in a tough 7-6(2) battle. Cristina Mayorova and Leigh Van Zyl lost to Jocelyn Massey and Kyoka Kubo after a hard-fought duel 7-5. Topping off our doubles matches, Sophia Hatton and Alina Tsyurpalevych defeated Maria Titova and Silvia Maria Costache in an easy 6-3 duel.
In singles, four Tigers came out on top successfully. Thompson swiftly defeated Van Vuuren 6-3, 6-1. Louka fell to Mulville 3-6, 0-6 and Hatton fell to Kubo 5-7, 1-6. Next up, Tsyurpalevych topped Massey 6-1, 7-5, marking a great first day for the freshman. Mayorova took on Maria Titova and won her matchup 6-3, 6-3. Lastly, Van Zyl lost in a hard-fought battle to Silvia Maria Costache 6-2, 5-7, 5-7.
“We have a great matchup ahead in Arkansas, and we look forward to growing as a team during this time,” Saia says. “I have emphasized how we need to show up in all nine spots to give us a chance at every position to succeed. Go Tigers!”
The tournament continues tomorrow, and the format will be a hidden dual with the schedule as follows:
Friday, Jan. 12
12 p.m. – Kansas vs. Iowa State
12 p.m. – Clemson vs. Arkansas
Saturday, Jan. 13
12 p.m. – Kansas vs. Arkansas
12 p.m. – Clemson vs. Iowa State
For the most up-to-date information regarding results for the tournament, please check our social media on Instagram, X, and Facebook @ClemsonWTEN.
