Nov. 5, 2009
NEW HAVEN, Conn. – Georgia Tech sophomore Irina Falconi advanced to the second round of the 2009 National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships hosted by Yale University with a straight-set victory over Auburn’s Fani Chifchieva Thursday at the Cullman-Heyman Tennis Center.
Falconi, the 2009 Riviera/ITA All-American singles champion, opened the day by taking the first set, 6-0. Chifchieva would open a 3-0 lead in the second set but the second-seeded Falconi fought her way back to take the match, 6-0, 7-6 (3).
“I felt I was very loose in the first set,” Falconi said. “I came out of the gate quickly and felt my foot work and aggressiveness was there. I just didn’t give her much to work with. In the second set, she became a little freer with her shots and I got down pretty quickly but from that moment on, we just battled for every point. I felt if it would go to a tie-breaker, I would have to be much more aggressive. I came to the net and finished points which were important to winning the match.”
Falconi, the highest seed still alive after the first day of competition, will continue her quest for her second straight national title Friday at 10:30 a.m., when she takes on Josipa Bek of Clemson.
– RamblinWreck.com –
