LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Four UNLV players advanced to their respective singles flight championship after winning their semifinal match Saturday on day two of the Watanabe Classic at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
 
Joining UNLV in the lineup are competitors from Iowa, Utah, Texas Tech, Long Beach State, Grand Canyon and Dixie State.
 
Zita Kovacs won her match to advance in Flight Two, both Cindy Hu and Salsa Aher swept their opponents in Flight Four and Coco Zhao easily moved to the final in Flight Five. In addition, the doubles team of Kovacs and Aura Fang will play for the championship of Flight Two.
 
The finals take place Sunday beginning with doubles at 10 a.m. All matches are free of charge.
 
The annual fall invitational was renamed this year to honor former tennis great Jolene Watanabe, who put the UNLV women's program on the map three decades ago and passed away in 2019 after a battle with cancer at the age of 50.
 
TEAMS
UNLV
Iowa
Utah
Grand Canyon (GCU)
Long Beach State (LBSU)
Texas Tech (TTU)
Dixie State (DSU)
 
JOLENE WATANABE CLASSIC
Nov. 12 2021
At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas 
 
FLIGHT ONE SINGLES
Natasha Puehse (GCU) def. Bojana Marinkov (TTU) 6-2, 6-4
Cristina Tiglea (TTU) def. Izumi Asano (UNLV) 6-4, 6-2
Zara Lennon (LBSU) def. Barbora Pokorna (IOWA) 6-4, 6-4
Anastasia Goncharova (UTAH) def. Ya-Chi Hsu (DSU) 6-1, 6-2
 
FLIGHT TWO SINGLES
Tomi Main (TTU) def. Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) 6-3, 6-0
Zita Kovacs (UNLV) def. Fabienne Schmidt (GCU) 6-4, 6-2
Nikola Homolkova (LBSU) def. Alex Hildreth (DSU) 6-1, 6-0
Sheena Masuda (LBSU) def. Madeline Lamoreaux (UTAH) 6-7, 6-0, 6-4
 
FLIGHT THREE SINGLES
Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Shir Azran (UNLV) 4-3, retired
Claire Le Du (LBSU) def. Aura Fang (UNLV) 6-4, 3-6, 6-1
Samantha Gillas (IOWA) def. Camryn Stepp (TTU) 6-2, 6-4
Sara Rakim (GCU) def. Rachel Mellor (DSU) 6-1, 6-2
 
FLIGHT FOUR SINGLES
Cindy Hu (UNLV) def. Alysha Damron (DSU) 6-2, 6-0
Salsa Aher (UNLV) def. Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) 7-5, 6-4
Valentina Del Marco (GCU) def. Andreea Ciornei (LBSU) 3-6, 6-3, 7-6
Autumn Prudhomme (GCU) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska (LBSU) 7-5, 6-2
 
FLIGHT FIVE SINGLES
Coco Zhao (UNLV) def. Jane Dorny (DSU) 6-0, 6-2
Aline Buhr (GCU) def. Leslie Fujitani (UNLV) 6-1, 6-2
 
FLIGHT ONE DOUBLES
Natasha Puehse/Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Masuda/Homolkova (LBSU) 6-1
Samantha Horwood/Anastasia Goncharova (UTAH) def. Izumi Asano/Coco Zhao (UNLV) 6-2
Cristina Tiglea/Tomi Main (TTU) def. Samantha Gillas/Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) 6-4
Zara Lennon/Zuzanna Szczepanska (LBSU) def. Rachel Mellor/Alexandra Hildreth (DSU) 6-1
 
FLIGHT TWO DOUBLES
Zita Kovacs/Aura Fang (UNLV) def. Fabienne Schmidt/Autum Prudhomme (GCU) 6-2
Bojana Marinkov/Carmryn Stepp (TTU) def. Shir Azran/Cindy Hu (UNLV) 6-3
Claire Le Du/Andreea Ciornei (LBSU) def. Alysha Damron/Jane Dorny (DSU) 6-4
Barbara Pokorna/Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) def. Salsa Aher/Sara Alajbegovic (UNLV) 6-1