COLLEGE PARK, Ga. | Florida A&M's tennis team traveled to College Park, Georgia, looking to repeat their 2019 success and win the HBCU National Tournament, but fell short, finishing in fifth place.
Singles Play
Flight A
Rebekkah Gaines battled in her first event, competing with the Rattlers picking up wins over Clark Atlanta's Wynter Clemons (6-1, 6-2), Xavier University's Kareemah Muhammed (6-3, 6-0), and Alcorn State's Andrea Quiroz (6-0,6-3) before falling to Alabama A&M's Jasmine Boyd (3-6, 6-2, 4-6) in the semifinals.
Flight B
Genesis Whitelock also shined in her first event competing with the Rattlers picking up wins versus Clark Atlanta's Shani Idlette (6-0, 6-2), Alabama A&M's Ariadna Ondo (6-0, 6-1), Xavier University's Valaine Clark (6-3, 6-4), North Carolina Central's Maria Picazo (4-6, 6-4, 6-2) to advance to the finals. Whitelock and Alabama State's Claudia Orsini finished in a draw (6-7, 7-6).
Reagan Harris saw an early exit losing to Alabama A&M's Alicia Owegi (4-6, 4-6) in the round of 32 after a round of 64 bye.
Flight C
Senior Susan Salinas saw an early exit losing to North Carolina Central's Isabelle Exsted (0-6, 2-6) in the round of 32 after a round of 64 bye.
Graduate student Claudia Sumaia played herself into the quarterfinals after a round of 64 bye and wins versus Alabama State's Francesca Lucia Duca (6-2, 6-3) and Xavier University's Ariana Stephens (6-1, 6-1). Sumaia fell to Shaw's Anja Antonojevic (3-6, 4-6)
After a round of 64 bye, Sara Rakim swept Johnson C. Smith's Maykayla Ramos (6-0, 6-0) before losing to North Carolina Central's Alejandra Hidalgo (3-6, 6-4, [9]-[11]) in the round of 16.
Doubles Play
Flight A
Genesis Whitelock and Reagan Harris proved to be a dominant team as they made it to the finals, losing to Alcorn State's Andrea Quiroz and Veronica Rodriguez (4-6). Before reaching the finals, they defeated Clark Atlanta's Jumai Muhammad and Wynter Clemons (7-6), Shaw's Michelle Blaha and Dana Moreno (6-1), and Xavier University's Kareemah Muhammad and Valaine Clark (6-4).
Flight B
Rebekkah Gaines and Claudia Sumaia partnered to defeat Johnson C. Smith's Kyndall Ragins and Sanaa Hewitt (6-0) before losing to Alabama State's Francesca Lucia Duca and Lizaveta Dzemchanka (6-4) in the round of 16.
Sara Rakim and Susan Salinas had a solid performance making it to the quarterfinals losing to Xavier University's Tianna Dixon and McKenna Wheatley (4-6). Before the quarterfinals, Rakim and Salinas defeated Tuskegee's Dayna and Devynn Jackson (6-4) and LeMoyne-Owen's Taylor Frierson and Kelsey McNeal (6-2).
The Rattlers will travel to Fort Myers, Florida, to compete in the Bedford Cup on September 23 - 25.
----
Follow Florida A&M Athletics
For complete coverage of Florida A&M athletics, please follow the Rattlers on social media at @FAMUAthletics (Twitter), FAMUAth (Facebook), and @famuathletics (Instagram).
