COLUMBUS, Ohio — Three members of the Ohio State women’s tennis team competed in the NCAA Singles Championship Monday at the Kahn Tennis Complex in Champaign, Ill. They each fell in straight sets in the 64-player draw.
No. 13-ranked Irina Cantos Siemers, a No. 9-16 seed, lost her first round match to Tatiana Makarova of Texas A&M, who was No. 24 in the most recent ITA rankings. Cantos was down 1-3 early but followed with a hold and a break to get on serve, 3-3. Makarova answered with a break of her own and won the following two games to take the first set, 6-3. The Aggie held on the no-ad point to open the second set and did not drop a game to take the set, 6-0, and the match.
Isabelle Boulais, No. 41 in the most recent rankings, fell to No. 42 Sabina Machalova of Ole Miss in her first round match. Boulais battled back from down 2-4 and 3-5 with a break and a hold for 5-all. Machalova held to go ahead 6-5 and then broke for the first set, 7-5. In the second, the Rebel won the first two games before the Buckeye went on a three-game run, with two breaks. Machalova broke back for a 3-all match and then won the next three games to advance to the Round of 16.
Sydni Ratliff, ranked 67th, took on No. 2 seed Peyton Stearns of Texas in her first round match. The Longhorn shut out the Buckeye in the first set. In the second, each player held before Ratliff broke for 2-1. Stearns won the next four games to go ahead 5-2. Ratliff held and then broke with Stearns serving for the match to cut the lead to one (5-4), but Stearns then broke on the no-ad point to win and advance, 6-0, 6-4.
Cantos Siemers (2021) and Boulais (2019) were both making their second appearance in the NCAA Singles Championship, with Ratliff qualifying in her first collegiate campaign.
Ratliff and Cantos Siemers will take the court Tuesday in the first round of the NCAA Doubles Championship. Tournament Central
NCAA Singles Championship
Champaign, Ill.
May 23 – First Round
Tatiana Makarova (Texas A&M) def. No. 9-16 Irina Cantos Siemers (OSU), 6-3, 6-0
Sabina Machalova (Ole Miss) def. Isabelle Boulais (OSU), 7-5, 6-3
No. 2 Peyton Stearns (Texas) def. Sydni Ratliff (OSU), 6-0, 6-4
