Thumbnail Photo is Courtesy of Stanford Athletics
URBANA, Ill. ? Nicole Gibbs won the NCAA Women?s Tennis Singles Championship, and USC?s Sabrina Santamaria and Kaitlyn Christian won the doubles championship on Monday afternoon at the Khan Outdoor Tennis Complex.
Gibbs successfully defended her singles crown from 2012 and became the NCAA?s first repeat singles champion since another Stanford Cardinal, Amber Liu, did it in 2003-04. Gibbs defeated Nebraska?s Mary Weatherholt in straight sets, 6-2, 6-4, to win the tournament. Gibbs did not lose a match in singles play in the singles tournament or team tournament and ended her career on a 14-match winning streak. Gibbs ends her career with a 30-1 career record in May.
Santamaria and Christian became the first doubles team from USC to win the NCAA Doubles Championship, defeating Skylar Morton and Robin Anderson from UCLA, 6-4, 6-3. The USC combo had previously won back-to-back Pac-12 and ITA National Indoor doubles crowns before completing the doubles sweep this year with a win at the outdoor championships.
Stanford Nicole Gibbs:
?I?m still a little bit shocked right now. This season has carried a lot of adversity for me. I haven?t been dominant throughout, so having this dominant of a performance is a big surprise and a very welcome one to me. It?s amazing to join the very elite club of people who have won two titles, and honestly, I don?t feel deserving. I?m just very happy with everything that?s happened these past few weeks.?
On her adversity this season?
?I had kind of a tough season; I ended the summer with an abdominal injury that kept me out, to varying degrees, of the fall season. I played a couple pro tournaments, but I wasn?t playing anything in college. When I came back, I wasn?t nearly as dominant as I had been at the one position at my school.?
On preparing for Mary Weatherholt?
?It was a little bit unsettling to play such a dark horse on such a big stage and important venue. I scouted her a little bit through the end of the week watching how she was winning her points. She?s a very solid player, hits a flat ball, so Lele and I went out after my match yesterday and just practiced fielding those lower balls, and that?s the only way I knew how to prepare for today.?
On becoming a full-time professional?
?Yes, that?s the plan; I?m leaving the day after finals to go to Wimbledon qualifiers. I?m getting an early start, I should only have to come back to finish my degree for one to two quarters so I?ve gotten enough of the way through that it shouldn?t be too much of a burden when I do come back.?
Nebraska senior Mary Weatherholt:
On the knee injury?
?I have a history with this knee. It was just three-all, first point I think, when she hit that short ball. I think I was just trying to not hit the net when I hit it. I felt it jam a little bit. I tried to walk it off through the next point. I just tried to fight through it. It didn?t make a difference in the match; (Gibbs) played really well.?
On her future?
?I honestly haven?t looked past today. I know I?ve talked about playing some mixed doubles at that US Open Playoff with (Nebraska Associate head coach) Hayden (Perez), depending on how my body recuperates. I love playing tennis; so even if it?s just for fun, I?d like to keep playing.?
?As a competitor, you want to win every match. I think anyone who gets to this level wants to win every match. Ultimately, that?s not what it?s all about. It doesn?t define who I am. It?s just been a fun tournament and a fun career here at Nebraska. I?m thankful for every opportunity on the court. Of course you always want to get it done, but you win some; you lose some. What can you do??
?I actually like playing people I haven?t played before, just because it?s always fun to play someone new and figure out their game. (Gibbs) played really well. I didn?t play my personal best, but part of that is she?s a good player. She was putting some pressure on me. She played well. I tried to adjust, but I missed too many balls. She came up with some good shots and good returns.?
?USC Kaitlyn Christian:
"It feels so nice, it feels great to be here with her (Santamaria) and to just have the opportunity to keep playing and to play at the US Open, so we're really excited."
On their performance this year?
"We finished tough last year with a first-round loss (at NCAAs), and we came into the season just staying really positive with each other, and after we won All-Americans we just kept rolling and were really having a lot of fun on the tennis court, and I think that's contributed to our success."
USC Sabrina Santamaria:
"I just feel blessed to have the best doubles partner in the world, the best doubles player in the country by my side. She's amazing, so honestly, I'm so blessed to be right next to her and go to the US Open."
On Anderson and Morton?
"They're definitely a respectable team, one of the best in the country, and we knew that they were gunning for us, and we knew it was going to be a really great match. We knew that if we just stayed solid and positive with each other, then the outcome would take care of itself."
?UCLA Skylar Morton:
?I think we tried to play more from the back and rally more, tried to lob it more.?
?UCLA Robin Anderson:
?We weren?t coming in to the net as much unless they really brought us in. We usually play at least one of us up or both of us, so that was different.?
??We had a really good performance. It?s always disappointing to lose in the final, but it was a great experience.?
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