Colorado
First Round
Aiello Advances to Pac-12 Quarterfinals
April 23, 2015 | Tennis
OJAI, Calif. – University of Colorado junior tennis student-athlete Alex Aiello became the first woman in school history in the four-year history of the Pac-12 Conference to advance to the quarterfinal round of the conference tournament in Ojai, Calif., Thursday evening.
Aiello upset the No. 8 seed from UCLA, Kristin Wiley, 3-6, 6-2, 7-5 in the Round of 32 Invitational on Thursday, then later in the evening, outlasted Utah's Alexia Petrovic, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 in the Round of 16.
Aiello becomes the first CU women's player to win a pair of matches on day one of the singles main draw. She will play the No. 2 seed/No. 84 ranked Meredith Xepoleas (USC), Friday at 1 p.m. (MT).
Aiello also joins fellow teammate Ashley Tiefel as the only two CU women to win a Pac-12 Tournament main draw singles match in the opening round. Tiefel won her match in 2013.
Aiello was one of only five CU women, who won a singles match Thursday.
After losing the first set 6-3, Aiello rallied for the sixth time in her CU career in the Round of 32, coming back from a set down to achieve victory. Aiello stormed back taking the second set, 6-2, than rallied once again in the final stanza twice, by 2-1 and 3-2 deficits. She took her first lead of the third set, 4-3, then again at 6-5.
It was also Aiello's first win in Pac-12 singles play this season, breaking an eight match skid.
Later in the evening, Aiello continued her momentum, winning another three set match, her second in the same day defeating Petrovic.
It was the first time in her CU career, Aiello has won back-to-back three set matches in the same day.
The pair of singles victories gives the CU junior 12 dual match wins this season, and 18 triumphs for the year, tying her for the team lead. In addition, the pair of three set victories gives her 15 wins in 22 outings in her two-year CU career in three set matches played.
The Pac-12 Championships, held in conjunction with the 114th Annual Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, runs from April 23-26th at the Ojai Valley Athletic Club and Liberty Park Tennis Courts.
In the Round of 32 Singles Championship main draw, senior Julyette Steur was on her way in upsetting the nation's No. 109 ranked player after winning the first set, 6-4, however lost the next two by 6-4, 6-4 margins.
Later in the same draw, sophomore Nuria Ormeño Ruiz fell to No. 65 Tereza Bekerova of Utah, 6-1, 6-3, then USC's and No. 45 ranked Zoe Scandalis, defeated freshman Tina Bokhua 6-3, 7-5. Bokhua was up a break in the second set and led 5-3.
In the other Round of 64 women's bracket, the Invitational Singles Draw, freshman Kyra Wojcik also had her opportunities against USC's Zoe Katz, leading 5-0 in the second set, only to fall in straight sets 6-3, 7-5.
The 32-player singles draw consists of three players from each of the top-10 schools that sponsor women's tennis and two players from the 11th-place team, based on the regular season standings. The 16-team women's doubles draw will have one doubles team from each of the 11 schools and five additional teams selected by the Draw Committee.
On Sunday, the Pac-12 Networks will televise singles play live starting at 11 a.m. (MT). Doubles play will be televised on taped delay with the broadcast starting at 8 p.m. (MT).
Doubles play will begin on Friday morning with a trio of CU duos competing. In the Round of 16 Championship Bracket Julyette Steur and Ashley Tiefel will take on No. 20 nationally ranked Giuliana Olmos and Zoe Scandalis of USC, 10 a.m. (MT).
In the Invitational Doubles Round of 16 Alex Aiello and Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (CU) will play Stanford's Krista Hardebeck/Paulette Wolak at 10 a.m. (MT); and Tina Bokhua and Kyra Wojcik will be matched up with Gussie O'Sullivan/Ebony Panoho of Arizona State at 11:15 a.m. (MT).
OJAI HISTORY: The Pac-12 Championships will keep with tradition as the featured event at this year's 115th Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament, which attracts 1,600 of the best college, junior and open players from the Western states. The annual event, started by William Thacher in 1896, has been played at the same site and interrupted only five times. If this tournament, put on entirely by volunteer efforts on public and privately owned courts, seems an unlikely place to see championship quality players, consider who has appeared here: Pete Sampras, Lindsay Davenport, Michael Chang, Rick Leach, Tracy Austin, Billy Jean King, Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors and the Bryan twins. These tennis greats are among more than 85 former players at The Ojai who have gone on to win one or more Grand Slam events as professional tennis players, all of whom are listed on Libbey Park's “Wall of Fame.”
Pac-12 Tennis Championships
April 23-26
Ojai Valley Athletic Club, Ojai, Calif.
Singles Championship
Round of 32
(109) Krista Hardebeck (Stanford) def. Julyette Steur (CU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
(65) Tereza Bekerova (Utah) def. Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (CU) 6-1, 6-3
(45) Zoe Scandalis (USC) def. Tina Bokhua (CU) 6-3, 7-5
Invitational
Round of 32
Alex Aiello (CU) def. (8 seed) Kristin Wiley (UCLA) 3-6, 6-2, 7-5
Zoe Katz (USC) def. Kyra Wojcik (CU) 6-3, 7-5
Elena Najera-Salas (Utah) vs. Ashley Tiefel (CU) - did not play
Round of 16
Alex Aiello (CU) def. Alexia Petrovic (Utah) 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
Quarterfinals
Friday, April 24
Alex Aiello (CU) vs. (2 seed/No. 84) Meredith Xepoleas (USC)
Doubles Championships
Round of 16
Friday, April 24
Julyette Steur/Ashley Tiefel (CU) vs. (20) Giuliana Olmos/Zoe Scandalis (USC), 10 a.m. (MT)
Invitational Doubles
Round of 16
Friday, April 24
Alex Aiello/Nuria Ormeño Ruiz (CU) vs. Krista Hardebeck/Paulette Wolak (Stanford), 10 a.m. (MT)
Tina Bokhua/Kyra Wojcik (CU) vs. Gussie O'Sullivan/Ebony Panoho (Arizona State), 11:15 a.m. (MT)
Players Mentioned
