May 26, 2012

ATHENS, GA. - USC senior Steve Johnson captured his 70th consecutive singles win today in a three-setter to advance to tomorrow's NCAA Singles Semifinals. That match will put Johnson up against the last player to beat him in a singles match - Stanford's Bradley Klahn - as Johnson continues his defense of the NCAA Singles crown. In the women's singles draw, USC freshman Sabrina Santamaria had a six-match win streak stopped by Cal's #13 Zsofi Susanyi to end Santamaria's All-American run in Athens in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Johnson and doubles teammate Roberto Quiroz wrapped up their run in today's NCAA Doubles Quarterfinals by retiring from their matchup against Texas Tech's Carvalho/Escobar in the second set after a long and hot day at the courts of Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.

Steve Johnson looked to be aiming for a quick finish of his quarterfinal opponent Alex Domijan, but the Cavalier responded to Johnson's 6-0 shutout in the first set with a fight in the second. Domijan managed a rare break of the high-powered Johnson late in the second, then held to take the set 7-5 and force a third. Johnson managed a crucial early break of Domijan in the third for a mental boost, then got him again to take a 5-1 lead and serve for it. Johnson was going big from the service line as the game teetered between match points, deuce and break points, but Johnson finally wrapped it up for a 6-0, 5-7, 6-1 win that propels the senior into the NCAA Singles semifinals.

The last time Johnson lost a singles match was Jan. 17, 2011. The top-ranked Trojan now carries a 70-match win streak into tomorrow's semifinal, facing the last player to beat him in Stanford's #36 Bradley Klahn. Tomorrow's NCAA Singles Semifinal matchup between Johnson and Klahn is set for 1:30 p.m. ET.

On the women's side of the action, USC's #26 Sabrina Santamaria made a stand of her own in her second set after falling 6-2 to Cal's #13 Zsofi Susanyi in the first set. The USC freshman fought back to lock the second up 5-5, then forced the tiebreaker to decide it. It was a tight one, but Susanyi was able to build a lead to set up match point. In a good rally, Susanyi's shot clipped the net and rolled over to drop inbounds for a unlucky finish to Santamaria's All-American run in NCAA action. Santamaria - who carried a six-match win streak into today's NCAA Quarterfinal effort -- closes out her freshman year with a 38-8 overall record - the most singles wins on the Women of Troy roster this season. In dual-match play, Santamaria went 23-2 in singles for the Trojans as she picked up a place on the NCAA All-Tournament Team for her efforts in helping USC to the NCAA Team Semifinals.

The extended singles match took some wind out of the sails of Johnson and delayed the start time of his doubles adventure with teammate Roberto Quiroz. Their opponent, Texas Tech's #18 Carvalho/Escobar, were rested and aggressive from the start in building a 6-2 lead on the Trojan pair. After the teams stayed on serve in the early goings of the second, the Red Raiders managed a break with Johnson at the service line, and the Trojan pair retired from the match after losing the next point to the Texas Tech pair. That loss was the first of the year for Johnson/Quiroz, finishing up a 21-1 run by the Trojan pair in 2012. For Johnson, it was just the third doubles loss overall in his senior campaign. Johnson finishes his USC doubles playing career with a 134-32 (.807) overall record, having gone 86-17 (.835) in dual-match doubles as a Trojan.

Complete USC results and schedules below:

WOMEN'S NCAA SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS (Dan Magill Tennis Complex - Athens, Ga.)
First Round - May 23
[9-16] #14 Zoë Scandalis (USC) def.#65 Lucia Batta (UNLV) - 6-7 (1), 6-4, 6-2
#26 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. [8]#7 Chelsea Gullickson (UGA) - 6-3, 6-2
#19 Danielle Lao (USC) def. #46 Keri Wong (CLEM) - 6-3, 6-1

Round of 32 - May 24
[9-16] #14 Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. #18 Anna Bartenstein (Miami) - 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
#26 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. #61 Sofie Oyen (FLA) - 6-3, 6-0
[1] Allie Will (FLA) def. #19 Danielle Lao (USC) - 6-4, 6-4

Round of 16 - May 25
#26 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. #23 Nina Secerbegovic (BAY) - 6-4, 6-4
[5] Mallory Burdette (STAN) def. [9-16] #14 Zoë Scandalis (USC) - 6-0, 6-3

Quarterfinal - May 26
[9-16] #13 Zsofi Susanyi (CAL) def. #26 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) - 6-2, 7-6 (4)

WOMEN'S NCAA DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
Round of 32 - May 24
#11 Bektas/Bolender (MICH) def. [4] #3 Christian/Santamaria (USC) - 5-7, 6-2, 6-2

MEN'S NCAA SINGLES CHAMPIONSHIPS (Dan Magill Tennis Complex - Athens, Ga.)
First Round - May 23
[1] #1 Steve Johnson (USC) def. #31 Ray Kalmanovich (ILL) - 6-2, 6-3
#21 Daniel Nguyen (USC) def. #44 Charlie Jones (VAND) - 6-0, 3-6, 6-3
#50 Louis Cant (MissSt) def. #51 Yannick Hanfmann (USC) - 6-3, 6-4
#57 Emilio Gomez (USC) def. #49 Nikola Bubnic (USD) - 6-4, 6-4
#25 Ray Sarmiento (USC) def. #120 Nick Sayer (RAD) - 6-1, 6-1

Round of 32 - May 24
[1] #1 Steve Johnson (USC) def. #53 Nassim Slilam (FLA) - 6-3, 6-2
[5] #5 Henrique Cunha (DUKE) def. #21 Daniel Nguyen (USC) - 6-4, 6-4
[9-16] #9 Blaz Rola (OhioSt) def. #57 Emilio Gomez (USC) - 7-6 (5), 6-3
[2] #2 Mitchell Frank (UVA) def. #25 Ray Sarmiento (USC) - 6-4, 6-1

Round of 16 - May 25
[1] #1 Steve Johnson (USC) def. #55 Neal Skupski (LSU) - 6-3, 5-5 ret. (inj.)

Quarterfinals - May 26
[1] #1 Steve Johnson (USC) vs. #39 Alex Domijan (UVA) --

MEN'S NCAA DOUBLES CHAMPIONSHIPS
Round of 32 - May 24
[2] #2 S. Johnson/Quiroz (USC) def. #11 Marsland/Watling (TULSA) - 6-3, 6-3

Round of 16 - May 25
[2] #2 S. Johnson/Quiroz (USC) def. #28 Botha/Doverspike (ALA) - 6-3, 7-5

Quarterfinals - May 26
#18 Carvalho/Escobar (TexasTech) def. [2] #2 S. Johnson/Quiroz (USC) - 6-2, 3-2 ret.