Oct. 7, 2012

PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIF. - USC's young guns Kaitlyn Christian and Sabrina Santamaria have done it again. The Trojan doubles duo have captured the third major championship together since they paired up as Women of Troy just over a year ago. With today's impressive three-set victory in the doubles title match of the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships, Christian and Santamaria add another very prestigious crown to their growing resumes.

Barely a year ago, Christian and Santamaria began to attract attention as a power couple as just a sophomore and freshman, respectively. In their first season as teammates, Christian/Santamaria became the first USC team to win the ITA National Indoor Doubles Championship. Later, the tandem claimed the 2012 Pac-12 Doubles Championship. And today, with a 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3 win over Duke's Capra/Mar, the junior-sophomore pair have claimed an elusive Riviera/ITA All-American Doubles Championship.

After dispatching No. 4 seeded UCLA pair Anderson/Morton in a swift 6-2, 6-2 decision in yesterday's semifinals, the top-seeded Trojans were primed for battle in today's championship bout. Up against an upset-minded Duke pair in Capra/Mar - who had upset the No. 3 seeds earlier in the tourney - Christian and Santamaria would be undeterred when the title match rolled into a third set. The Trojans had grabbed a strong 6-2 win in the first set before the Blue Devils forced the issue in the second and snagged an 8-6 edge in the second-set tiebreaker to go to the third. Christian/Santamaria stayed strong and kept charging to the finish line as they capped off the win with a 6-3 third set victory to lock in on a third major doubles championship and become the first-ever USC winners at the ITA Women's All-American.

Complete USC results from the ITA All-American Championships are below.

MAIN DRAW DOUBLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
Round of 32 - Oct. 4
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) -- bye
Guarachi/Macfarlane (ALA) def. DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) -- 8-2

Round of 16 - Oct. 4
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. #14 Narattana/Rose (OKST) -- 8-4

Quarterfinals - Oct. 5
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. Kopinski/White (ILL) -- 8-4

Semifinals - Oct. 5
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. #4 [4] Anderson/Morton (UCLA) - 6-2, 6-2

Championship - Oct. 6
#1 [1] Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. #19 Capra/Mar (Duke) - 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3

MAIN DRAW SINGLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
First Round - Oct. 4
#7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. Ema Burgic (BAY) -- 6-1, 6-1
#8 [5] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. #24 Lauren McHale (UNC) -- 6-1, 6-1
#11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) def. #12 Kate Turvy (NW) -- 6-3, 6-3

Round of 16 - Oct. 5
#7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. #96 Nicole Bartnik (COL) -- 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
#18 Brynn Boren (TENN) def. #8 [5] Sabrina Santamaria (USC) -- 6-7 (4), 6-1, 6-3
#11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Ecaterina Vasenina (USF) -- 5-2 ret. (inj.)

Quarterfinals - Oct. 5
#7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) def. Krista Hardebeck (STAN) -- 5-7, 6-2, 7-6(0)
#11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) def. Maho Kowase (UGA) -- 6-2, 6-3

Semifinals - Oct. 6
Julia Elbaba (UVA) def. #7 [4] Zoë Scandalis (USC) - 6-4, 7-6 (4)
[3] Lauren Embree (FLA) def. #11 [8] Danielle Lao (USC) - 6-2, 7-5

MAIN DRAW CONSOLATION MATCHES
Burgic/Sanford (BAY) def. DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) -- 8-2

PREQUALIFYING SINGLES (Westwood, Calif.)
First Round - Sept. 29
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. #120 Julia Fellerhoff (Louisville) -- 6-7(4), 6-3, 6-4
Second Round - Sept. 29
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Michaela Bezdickova (New Mexico) -- 1-6, 6-1, 6-2
Third Round - Sept. 30
Gabriella DeSimone (USC) def. Daneika Borthwick (Florida State) -- 6-2, 6-2

QUALIFYING SINGLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
First Round - Oct. 2
#37 [12] Maho Kowase (UGA) def. Gabriella DeSimone (USC) -- 6-1, 6-2
Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Nives Pavlovic (UNLV) -- 6-3, 6-2
Second Round - Oct. 2
#85 Elizabeth Epstein (YALE) def. Kaitlyn Christian (USC) -- 6-3, 6-2

QUALIFYING DOUBLES (Riviera Tennis Club)
First Round - Oct. 2
DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. Jones/Stephens (OLE) -- 8-2
#28 [7] Bonacic/Niedermayerova (KSt) def. Lao/Pulido (USC) -- 8-1
Second Round - Oct. 3
DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. #30 Fuller/Herring (UGA) -- 8-3
Third Round - Oct. 3
DeSimone/Scandalis (USC) def. #41 Nauta/Xi (UVA) -- 8-6

QUALIFYING CONSOLATION MATCHES
Lao/Pulido (USC) def. Bergner/Rath (DU) -- 8-1
#44 Mary Clayton (Duke) def. Gabriella DeSimone (USC) -- 6-2, 6-0