Russian freshman Grechkina earns key wins in singles and doubles in team’s 4-1 victory over Arizona
The Pepperdine Waves women’s tennis team is heading to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Indoor Championships for the ninth consecutive season.
And a freshman’s racket propelled them there.
Anastasiia Grechkina, a freshman from Russia, captured a three-set win in Pepperdine’s 4-1 victory over Arizona during the ITA Kickoff Weekend on Jan. 25 at Pepperdine’s Ralphs-Strauss Tennis Center. Grechkina’s 3-6, 6-4, 6-1 over Midoir Castillo, the 74th-ranked singles player in college ranks, secured the Waves admission to the Feb. 7-11 indoor tournament.
Grechkina also had a racket in another Pepperdine clinch. She and her doubles partner, freshman Taylor Goetz, won their match over Zoya Chulak and Daniella Tuhten to give Pepperdine the competition’s doubles point.
Grechkina’s forehand down the line with the score knotted 4-4 and a backhand winner by Goetz put the competition at break point. The Waves’ twosome took a 5-4 lead, and then with Grechkina serving, they won the doubles point 6-4.
Vivian Yang won her first singles match over Teja Tirunelveli 6-1. She then captured the second set by the same score. Pepperdine freshman Alexia Harmon got the Waves’ second singles win by beating Tuhten 6-3, 6-3 after Waves senior Savannah Broadus was beaten by Josie Usereau.
Grechkina bounced back from her first set loss to break Castillo in the ninth game of the second set. She then won the set in the 10th game. Grechkina broke her opponent early in the third set. She broke Castillo for the match with two forehands. It was Grechkina’s first ranked singles victory.
Pepperdine’s win over Arizona was Waves interim head coach Tassilo Schmid’s first dual win since being named to the position in December.
Pepperdine’s spring season started with a 4-3 loss to Duke on Jan. 17 and a 5-2 loss to North Carolina State two days later.
The Waves play at Arizona State in Tempe, Arizona, on Saturday, Feb. 8.
The next weekend, Pepperdine will join 15 other teams at the ITA Indoor Championships, playing in Illinois either at Northwestern or the University of Illinois.
