Shibahara claims Oracle ITA Masters title.
Shibahara Wins #OracleITAMasters Title
October 16, 2016 | Women's Tennis
MALIBU, Calif. โ UCLA's Ena Shibahara became a national champion on Sunday afternoon when she took down second-ranked Luisa Stefani of Pepperdine in the 2016 Oracle ITA Masters championship final.ย Going down to the wire in the third set, second-seeded Shibahara pulled out the win over her top-seeded opponent.ย
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NATIONAL CHAMPION.
โ ITA Tennis (@ITA_Tennis) October 16, 2016
Freshman Ena Shibahara pulls out a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win over Luisa Stefani (Pepperdine) to claim #OracleITAMasters title. pic.twitter.com/jFsjD6x908
"What an amazing three weeks to start her career with," said UCLA head coach Stella Sampras Webster of Shibahara's back-to-back appearances in ITA finals. ย "Winning the Oracle ITA Masters is a great accomplishment, and I couldn't be more proud of what Ena did today."
After trading game for game in the first set, Shibahara broke Stefani early to take a 3-1 lead.ย Dictating the pace, the Bruin freshman won 15 of 20 first-serve points and won three of five break points to take the set 6-3.
Continuing this momentum, Shibahara jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second set after breaking Stefani twice.ย This would be the Bruin's last win in the second set, however, as Stefani rattled off five straight games to force a third.ย
Stefani and Shibahara traded holds throughout the final set.ย Knotted at 5-5, the Bruin finally broke her opponent to gain a 6-5 advantage and to serve for the title.ย Shibahara ripped a forehand cross court and Stefani was unable to chase it down.ย The freshman claimed the title with a 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 win in the final.ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย ย
"Beating a player like Luisa--one of the best players in college tennis today--is really impressive," said Sampras Webster. ย "What I am most pleased with is Ena's fight in the battle as Luisa stepped it up and started to take control of the match. ย Some players might fold under the pressure, but Ena continued to fight and she ended up winning."ยOracle ITA Masters champ!!! ??Shibahara hits the forehand winner to defeat Stefani 6-3, 4-6, 7-5! #GoBruins #OracleITAMasters pic.twitter.com/uISh0ip5Ce
โ UCLA Women's Tennis (@uclawtennis) October 16, 2016
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Oracle ITA Masters
Oct 13-16 at Malibu, CA (Pepperdine University)
| Singles competition | |
| 32 | ย ย Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. Marine Cartier (Alabama State) 6-1, 6-0 |
| 16 | ย ย Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. #74 Gabriela Porubin (Wichita State) 6-1, 6-1 |
| QF | ย ย Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. Meible Chi (Duke) 6-2, 4-6, 7-5 |
| SF | ย ย Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. Sara Daavettila (North Carolina) 6-3, 6-3 |
| F | ย ย Ena Shibahara (UCLA) def. #2 Luisa Stefani (Pepperdine) 6-3, 4-6, 7-5 |
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
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Friday, May 03
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