Linda Huang Shines at ITA Regionals
Utah women’s tennis player and University of Utah junior Anastasia Goncharova plays against New Mexico State University in an NCAA dual Meet at the Jon M. Huntsman Tennis Center on Feb. 4, 2021. (Photo by Abu Asib | The Daily Utah Chronicle)
October 17, 2021
The University of Utah women’s tennis team attended the ITA regionals in Las Vegas from Oct. 13 to Oct. 17. The Utes played well and even saw a player make a deep run in the tournament.
The first matches were on Wednesday, Oct. 13, and multiple Utes picked victories. The Utes went a perfect 3-0 in the doubles portion.
The standout performers from doubles were Lindsay Hung and Samantha Horwood who put up a convincing final score of 8-2.
The singles portion was successful for the Utes as well. Linda Huang, Madeleine Lamorauex and Emily Dush all picked up wins in the singles section. Anastasia Goncharova and Madison Tattini both fell in their opening matchups. Katya Hersch also managed to pick up a solid win.
Day two saw many Utes lose in their matchups, but Huang continued her fantastic play and went 2-0 on the day.
Huang started off the day with a straight set victory over Holly Steward, the Boise State stalwart. Huang then faced her toughest test against No. 15 Britt Pursell from Denver. Huang dropped the first set 4-6, but gathered her composure and was dominant in the second and third sets, winning both 6-1.
Hung was eliminated from the tournament in the round of 32 by Sophia Zehender. She was a heavy underdog entering the matchup and played well considering the circumstances. Hersch, Horwood and Lamoreaux all fell in the round of 16. The Utes also failed to win any of their doubles matchups.
Day three left only Linda Huang standing, and she prepared to face off against her quarterfinals opponent Anastasia Luneva, who attends the University of Nevada.
Huang’s match followed a similar trajectory to her previous matchup. She started slow and lost the first set 2-6. Then, after using the first set to gather information and figure out her opponent, she began playing great tennis. She won the second set 6-1, then in the final decisive third set pitched a shutout and won 6-0 and earned a ticket to the semi-finals.
Huang’s impressive run came to an end in the semifinals as she matched up against the No. 2 Anna Riedmiller from Denver. The first set was a nail biter. Huang forced a tie-break game, but lost 7-6. She appeared deflated after the close loss in the first set and lost the second 6-0.
The Utes have some time off to regroup and prepare for their next matchup. This will take place on Nov. 12 and the Utes will either attend the San Diego Fall Classic or the UNLV fall classic.
