Graham Falls In ITA All-Americans Final

Saturday, October 5

Tulsa, Okla.

All Day

North Carolina

ITA Women's All-American Championships

Photo by: courtesy of ITA

October 13, 2019 | Women's Tennis

By: Mark Kimmel

TULSA, Okla. - North Carolina senior Alexa Graham lost in the main draw singles championship match on Sunday night before a national televised audience on ESPNU at the 2019 ITA Women's All-American Championships from the University of Tulsa.

Graham, the third seed in the field, was seeking to become just the second Tar Heel women's tennis player to capture the Women's All-American singles title when she faced No. 12 seed Ashley Lahey of Pepperdine.

Lahey jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set, before Graham rallied for four of the next five points before the Pepperdine senior closed it out with a 6-4 opening-set victory.

Graham trailed 2-1 in the second, before storming back to gain a 3-2 edge. With the set tied 5-all, Lahey pushed ahead 6-5 by winning the ad point on her serve. Graham had the opportunity to serve to stay in the match and nearly came back from a 15-40 hole but couldn't overcome the red-hot Lahey to fall in straight sets, 6-4, 7-5.

Despite the setback, Graham has put together an outstanding start to her final season with the Tar Heels. The Garden City, N.Y., native is 10-2 overall in singles play with nine victories over top-50 ranked players.

Lahey has unquestionably been the best women's player in college tennis this fall. This was her third straight title over the last month. The Pepperdine senior knocked off Graham, 7-6 (5), 6-1, on her way to the Oracle/ITA Masters last month.

However, Graham pinned Lahey with her last collegiate singles loss back in May in the second round of the 2019 NCAA Singles Championship in Orlando by scores of 7-6, 6-4.

Then freshman Jamie Loeb remains the lone Carolina player to win the ITA Women's All-American championship when she miraculously came through the prequalifying draw and the qualifying draw to win 11 matches in nine days to garner the 2013 crown.

2019 ITA Women's All-American Championships
Main Draw Singles
Wednesday, Oct. 9 - First Round
[2] #3 Makenna Jones (UNC) def. #71 Chiara Tomasetti (No. Arizona) 7-6 (2), 7-6 (3)
[3] #4 Alexa Graham (UNC) def. #41 Emma Antonaki (Miss State) 3-6, 7-6, 6-3
[5] #7 Sara Daavettila (UNC) def. #38 Michaela Haet (Rice) 6-2, 6-3
[10] #12 Cameron Morra (UNC) def. #21 Oleksandra Korashvili (OU) 6-4, 6-0

Thursday, Oct. 10 - Second Round
[5] #7 Sara Daavettila (UNC) def. #84 Andrea Reami (NCST) 6-3, 6-1
[10] #12 Cameron Morra (UNC) def. #50 Angela Kulikov (USC) 6-2, 6-4
[3] #4 Alexa Graham (UNC) def. #26 Chiara Lommer (Michigan) 6-2, 6-3
#37 Vivian Wolff (Georgia) def. [2] #3 Makenna Jones (UNC) 6-0, 7-5

Friday, Oct. 11 - Round of 16
[5] #7 Sara Daavettila (UNC) def. #43 Lisa Marie Rioux (OKST) 6-0, 4-6, 6-0
[3] #4 Alexa Graham (UNC) def. [16] #18 Meible Chi (Duke) 6-0, 6-2
#63 Iuliia Bryzgalova (Penn) def. [10] #12 Cameron Morra (UNC) 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (4)

Friday, Oct. 11 - Quarterfinals
[3] #4 Alexa Graham (UNC) def. [13] #15 Christina Rosca (Vandy) 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4
[15] #17 Anna Turati (Texas) def. [5] #7 Sara Daavettila (UNC) 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (8)

Saturday, Oct. 12 - Semifinals
[3] #4 Alexa Graham (UNC) def. [15] #17 Anna Turati (Texas) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3

Sunday, Oct. 13 - Finals
[12] #14 Ashley Lahey (Pepperdine) def. [3] #4 Alexa Graham (UNC) 6-4, 7-5

Main Draw Doubles
Thursday, Oct. 10 - First Round
[2] #3 Jones/Morra (UNC) def. #27 Holly Hutchinson/Brooke Pilkington (ODU) 8-1
#20 Graham/Daavettila (UNC) def. [3] #4 Elysia Bolton/Jada Hart (UCLA) 8-7 (4)

Thursday, Oct. 10 - Second Round
[2] #3 Jones/Morra (UNC) def. Lenka Antonijevic/Yuliya Kzelbasheva (DePaul) 8-2
#20 Graham/Daavettila (UNC) def. #19 Eleni Christofi/Vivian Wolff (Georgia) 8-3

Friday, Oct. 11 - Quarterfinals
#24 Tenika McGiffin/Kaitlin Staines (Tennessee) def. [2] #3 Jones/Morra (UNC) 8-5
#29 Jessie Gong/Samantha Martinelli (Yale) def. #20 Graham/Daavettila (UNC) 8-5