This past week, the Alabama women’s tennis team competed in the ITA Southern Regional Championship with multiple players going far. Junior Petra Sedlackova won the singles championship, claiming the third event title in program history.
“We are very happy with how she competed all week as she approached every match with the right intensity and focus,” head coach Jonatan Berhane said.
The Crimson Tide traveled to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to compete in the five-day tournament, which had both doubles and singles matches. Alabama brought seven players and made the semifinals in both singles and doubles with Sedlackova being a part of each.
The Crimson Tide started the tournament strong on the first day of main draw singles play, collecting five wins and advancing four players to the round of 32. On the second day of singles play, both Sedlackova and transfer graduate student Margaux Maquet advanced to quarterfinals.
This was also the first day of doubles play. The Crimson Tide had three teams playing, but at the end of the day, only one team, Sedlackova and Maquet, moved on to the round of 16. The semifinals day was busy for the Crimson Tide as Sedlackova played in singles then joined Maquet to compete in doubles. Sedlackova dominated against LSU’s Aran Teixidó Garcia to move on to the championship, but the doubles team fell short and lost.
Sedlackova made history after she won her semifinal match since it marked the furthest she’s made it in an ITA regional. Sedlackova continued to dominate Set 1 of the championship against Kinaa Graham of LSU, winning all six games, including an 11-point run. In Set 2, Sedlackova fell short 2-6 but then turned around to win the final set 6-1 to claim the victory and win the championship, getting her first event title and earning Alabama the third event title in program history.
When asked about winning the singles championship, all she had to say was, “Hard work pays off.” Her coach, though, said he was proud of her and his coaching staff.
“I would like to thank our coaching staff, Alba Cortina Pou and Keith Swindoll, as well as our support staff, for all they have done for this team,” Berhane said. “We look to build from this going into the rest of the season.”
The Alabama women’s tennis team will bring home its third ITA singles title thanks to Sedlackova’s win. The last time the Crimson Tide brought home an ITA singles title was in 2012 by Alexa Guarachi two years after Mary Macfarlane won in 2010.
The Crimson Tide will return home to finish the fall portion of its schedule Oct. 27 as it hosts the Roberta Alison Fall Classic.
