University Southern California Trojans
Monday, January 21
Melbourne, au
4:00 PM
USC
4
vs
1
South Carolina
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
USC Women Take Down No. 13 South Carolina At Australian Open
January 21, 2019 | Women's Tennis, Features
Powerful comeback effort from the Trojans comes in a historic meeting in Melbourne.
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA — The USC women's tennis team served up a gutsy upset in a historic first-ever collegiate dual match played at the Australian Open, taking down No. 13 South Carolina in a ferocious comeback that saw three Trojans claim three-set victories to beat the Gamecocks 4-1 in Melbourne, Australia. After surrendering a tight doubles point, USC regrouped with a vengeance. Danielle Wilsson swept to level it, and then captain Rianna Valdes shrugged off a rough first set and powered up for a three-set comeback. In her first official match as a Trojan, Ana Neffa also hauled in a three-setter to set up the clincher, which came in another heroic comeback from Angela Kulikov to lock up a big win for the Women of Troy.
At the No. 1 spot, USC's #42 tandem of Angela Kulikov and Rianna Valdes came to play. The Trojans' top guns ripped off a 6-1 win over South Carolina's Chinellato/Davies to get the day's dual match off to a winning start for USC. Meanwhile, the Trojans were trailing on the other two courts. And both USC pairs were able to stare down match points and pull back against their Gamecock foes. On court two, USC's Becca Weissmann and Danielle Willson were down 2-5 before staging a ferocious comeback, leveling it at 5-all and pulling ahead 6-5. At the same time, court three had USC's Salma Ewing and Ana Neffa digging out of a 2-5 hole as well. Their rally was cut short, however, as South Carolina's Horvit/Wicker stepped up and claimed a 6-4 decision to put all eyes on court two. There, the Trojans and the Gamecocks pushed on to a tiebreaker, where South Carolina was able to catch a late advantage, pulling away from USC's 5-5 lockup to claim the No. 2 doubles match over USC's Weissmann/Willson and pocket the first point of the dual match for South Carolina.
As singles play unfurled, the battle raged on. Three Trojans and three Gamecocks claimed first sets, but each Trojan who dropped a first set rallied and went up a break on their South Carolina foes in the second. Rianna Valdes quickly turned the tables on her Gamecock opponent, #69 Mia Horvit, falling in the first 1-6 and then storming back to take the second 6-1. So too, would Becca Weissmann roar back and snag the second, following a 3-6 slip with a 6-2 win to bring up a third. Angela Kulikov also bounced back into gear, churning out a 6-1 win in the second to follow an 0-6 first set.
While third sets popped up down the line, it was freshman #99 Danielle Willson who bought herself an early exit with a resounding 6-3, 6-1 win over Kennedy Wicker on court six. That snarled things up 1-1, while third sets played out on courts 1-5. Rianna Valdes was arguably the linchpin in the Trojan turnaround. The senior captain didn't blink when she slipped behind South Carolina's Megan Davies on court three. Valdes didn't give up any ground the rest of the way, carrying her team into the lead with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory. In her official Trojan debut, Ana Neffa stayed focused through three sets as well. She'd claim the first but would go to a third when Rachel Rohrbacher stole the second 7-5. The third would snarl up at 3-3, but Neffa wouldn't back down, rolling up a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win to take her Trojans to a 3-1 advantage.
On court four, Becca Weissmann was working her way into position for the clincher, up 5-4 in the third on South Carolina's Silvia Chinellato. While Weissmann was closing in, her teammate Angela Kulikov stormed to victory after erasing the memory of an 0-6 loss in the first set. Kulikov came through in the clutch, taking out #69 Mia Horvit on court two with an 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 comeback that sealed the 4-1 win for the Trojans. That left Weissmann's match suspended, as well as #20 Salma Ewing's clash with #25 Paige Cline on court one. Ewing was also getting herself into clinching position, up 7-5, 4-6, 5-2 when the match was decided.
The USC women return to Los Angeles on Jan. 23 to turn to ITA Kick-Off Weekend competition back in the USA.
USC 4, #13 South Carolina 1
Jan. 21, 2019 | Melbourne, Australia
DOUBLES
(1) #42 Kulikov/Valdes (USC) vs. Chinellato/Davies (SC) — 6-1
(2) Cline/Rohrbacher (SC) def. Weissmann/Willson (USC) - 7-6 (5)
(3) Horvit/Wicker (SC) def. Ewing/Neffa (USC) - 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
South Carolina wins doubles point.
SINGLES
(1) #20 Salma Ewing (USC) vs. #25 Paige Cline (SC) — 7-5, 4-6, 5-2 susp.
(2) Angela Kulikov (USC) def. #69 Mia Horvit (SC) — 0-6, 6-4, 7-5*
(3) Rianna Valdes (USC) def. Megan Davies (SC) — 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
(4) Becca Weissmann (USC) vs. Silvia Chinellato (SC) — 3-6, 6-2, 5-4 susp.
(5) #87 Ana Neffa (USC) vs. Rachel Rohrbacher (SC) — 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
(6) #99 Danielle Willson (USC) def. Kennedy Wicker (SC) — 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 3, 5, 2*
At the No. 1 spot, USC's #42 tandem of Angela Kulikov and Rianna Valdes came to play. The Trojans' top guns ripped off a 6-1 win over South Carolina's Chinellato/Davies to get the day's dual match off to a winning start for USC. Meanwhile, the Trojans were trailing on the other two courts. And both USC pairs were able to stare down match points and pull back against their Gamecock foes. On court two, USC's Becca Weissmann and Danielle Willson were down 2-5 before staging a ferocious comeback, leveling it at 5-all and pulling ahead 6-5. At the same time, court three had USC's Salma Ewing and Ana Neffa digging out of a 2-5 hole as well. Their rally was cut short, however, as South Carolina's Horvit/Wicker stepped up and claimed a 6-4 decision to put all eyes on court two. There, the Trojans and the Gamecocks pushed on to a tiebreaker, where South Carolina was able to catch a late advantage, pulling away from USC's 5-5 lockup to claim the No. 2 doubles match over USC's Weissmann/Willson and pocket the first point of the dual match for South Carolina.
As singles play unfurled, the battle raged on. Three Trojans and three Gamecocks claimed first sets, but each Trojan who dropped a first set rallied and went up a break on their South Carolina foes in the second. Rianna Valdes quickly turned the tables on her Gamecock opponent, #69 Mia Horvit, falling in the first 1-6 and then storming back to take the second 6-1. So too, would Becca Weissmann roar back and snag the second, following a 3-6 slip with a 6-2 win to bring up a third. Angela Kulikov also bounced back into gear, churning out a 6-1 win in the second to follow an 0-6 first set.
While third sets popped up down the line, it was freshman #99 Danielle Willson who bought herself an early exit with a resounding 6-3, 6-1 win over Kennedy Wicker on court six. That snarled things up 1-1, while third sets played out on courts 1-5. Rianna Valdes was arguably the linchpin in the Trojan turnaround. The senior captain didn't blink when she slipped behind South Carolina's Megan Davies on court three. Valdes didn't give up any ground the rest of the way, carrying her team into the lead with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory. In her official Trojan debut, Ana Neffa stayed focused through three sets as well. She'd claim the first but would go to a third when Rachel Rohrbacher stole the second 7-5. The third would snarl up at 3-3, but Neffa wouldn't back down, rolling up a 6-2, 5-7, 6-3 win to take her Trojans to a 3-1 advantage.
On court four, Becca Weissmann was working her way into position for the clincher, up 5-4 in the third on South Carolina's Silvia Chinellato. While Weissmann was closing in, her teammate Angela Kulikov stormed to victory after erasing the memory of an 0-6 loss in the first set. Kulikov came through in the clutch, taking out #69 Mia Horvit on court two with an 0-6, 6-4, 7-5 comeback that sealed the 4-1 win for the Trojans. That left Weissmann's match suspended, as well as #20 Salma Ewing's clash with #25 Paige Cline on court one. Ewing was also getting herself into clinching position, up 7-5, 4-6, 5-2 when the match was decided.
The USC women return to Los Angeles on Jan. 23 to turn to ITA Kick-Off Weekend competition back in the USA.
USC 4, #13 South Carolina 1
Jan. 21, 2019 | Melbourne, Australia
DOUBLES
(1) #42 Kulikov/Valdes (USC) vs. Chinellato/Davies (SC) — 6-1
(2) Cline/Rohrbacher (SC) def. Weissmann/Willson (USC) - 7-6 (5)
(3) Horvit/Wicker (SC) def. Ewing/Neffa (USC) - 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 3, 2
South Carolina wins doubles point.
SINGLES
(1) #20 Salma Ewing (USC) vs. #25 Paige Cline (SC) — 7-5, 4-6, 5-2 susp.
(2) Angela Kulikov (USC) def. #69 Mia Horvit (SC) — 0-6, 6-4, 7-5*
(3) Rianna Valdes (USC) def. Megan Davies (SC) — 1-6, 6-1, 6-4
(4) Becca Weissmann (USC) vs. Silvia Chinellato (SC) — 3-6, 6-2, 5-4 susp.
(5) #87 Ana Neffa (USC) vs. Rachel Rohrbacher (SC) — 6-3, 5-7, 6-3
(6) #99 Danielle Willson (USC) def. Kennedy Wicker (SC) — 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 6, 3, 5, 2*
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