Orlando, Fla. – Facing a 3-0 deficit after the doubles and first two singles matches, the third-seeded Fordham women's tennis squad fought back to take a 4-3 semifinal decision from seventh-seeded George Washington University and advance to its first Atlantic 10 Championship finals match at the USTA National Campus on Friday. The Rams will face top-seeded VCU for the title on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN+.
The match came down to third singles where Fordham's
Eleni Fasoula dropped the first set to GW's Alexandra Vesikallio before battling back to take the second, 7-5, and then clinched the match for the Rams with a 6-4 win in the third set.
After the Colonials won the doubles point, taking both completed doubles matches, and then took first and second singles, the Rams found themselves with no room for error.
Carlota Casasampere Escoda got the Rams on the board with a straight set win at fourth singles and
Nicole Li followed with a 6-2, 6-0 victory at the fifth position to make it a 3-2 match.
Lorraine Bergmann, who dropped her first set at sixth singles, rallied back to take the second and third, 6-4 and 6-1 to knot the match at 3-3 and set up Fasoula's heroics.
Fordham 4, George Washington 3
USTA National Campus | Orlando, Fla.
Friday, April 29, 2022
SINGLES
1. Stella Wiesemann (GWW) def.
Avery Aude (FORW) 6-1, 6-1
2. Katarina Marinkovikj (GWW) def.
Valeriya Deminova (FORW) 6-1, 6-0
3.
Eleni Fasoula (FORW) def. Alexandra Vesikallio (GWW) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
4.
Carlota Casasampere Escoda (FORW) def. Lindsey Thompson (GWW) 6-1, 6-2
5.
Nicole Li (FORW) def. Charlotte Bell (GWW) 6-2, 6-0
6.
Lorraine Bergmann (FORW) def. Lara McNaughten (GWW) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
DOUBLES
1. Alexandra Vesikallio/Katarina Marinkovikj (GWW) def.
Avery Aude/
Valeriya Deminova (FORW) 6-3
2.
Eleni Fasoula/
Nicole Li (FORW) vs. Charlotte Bell/Stella Wiesemann (GWW) 6-6, unfinished
3. Sarah Bodewes/Lindsey Thompson (GWW) def.
Carlota Casasampere Escoda/
Rachelle Yang (FORW) 7-5
WHAT'S NEXT?
• The Rams' will face VCU in the 2022 Atlantic 10 Championship match on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the USTA National Campus. The match will be streamed live on ESPN+.
