Photo by: Tom Lynn
Five things to know: Castellano at ITA Fall Championships
November 05, 2018 | Women's Tennis
Wisconsin senior headed to fall ITA’s
MADISON, Wis. – Wisconsin women's tennis senior Sara Castellano will compete against the nation's best this weekend at the 2018 ITA National Fall Championships in Surprise, Arizona.
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Castellano is one of just 64 players from around the country to qualify for the singles draw, which starts on Wednesday, and only one of six athletes from the Big Ten Conference to make the women's tournament. Â
She opens up the tournament with a match against Cal's Olivia Hauger on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. CT
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1. HOT START: Castellano jumped out to a hot start in 2018, winning the 2018 ITA Summer Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas. She was then invited to the ITA All-American Championships where she finished runner-up in the backdraw, which secured her spot at the 2018 Oracle ITA Fall National Championships.
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3.  AT ITA ALL-AMERICANS: The Carmagnola, Italy, native earned a trio of wins against top-20 opponents in the back draw at ITA All-Americans en route to finishing runner-up in the consolation bracket. Castellano started her success against No. 20 Mariana Petrei of Idaho, winning 6-0, 6-3. The next round brought No. 19 Alle Sanford from UNC. Castellano breezed to a 6-1, 6-1 victory. In the semifinals, Castellano was opposite net of No. 11 Carla Touly from Florida State, where Castellano would advance 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
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5. HOW'D SHE GET HERE: Castellano journey to her senior year at Wisconsin has been a unique one as she began her collegiate career at McNeese State before competing at Kansas State for two years. She sat out the 2016-17 season for Wisconsin before finally seeing the court in 2017-18, when she pieced together a 16-15 doubles mark and 19-11 singles record.
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4. ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: The Oracle National Fall Championships is in its second year after replacing the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. It is the lone event in college tennis to feature players from all five divisions - NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO . The tournament features a 64-player singles draw and a 32-team doubles draw and players qualified through designated placing at earlier ITA Regional Championships and ITA National Championships.
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The men's and women's singles champions will receive main draw wildcards into a 2019 Oracle Challenger Series tournament.
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5. SCHEDULE: The tournament starts on Wednesday at 9 a.m. CT in Surprise, Arizona, at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex. The singles finals on Sunday will stream live on ESPN3 and the ESPN App and will be shown on a tape delay on ESPNU.
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Castellano is one of just 64 players from around the country to qualify for the singles draw, which starts on Wednesday, and only one of six athletes from the Big Ten Conference to make the women's tournament. Â
She opens up the tournament with a match against Cal's Olivia Hauger on Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. CT
Â
1. HOT START: Castellano jumped out to a hot start in 2018, winning the 2018 ITA Summer Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas. She was then invited to the ITA All-American Championships where she finished runner-up in the backdraw, which secured her spot at the 2018 Oracle ITA Fall National Championships.
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3.  AT ITA ALL-AMERICANS: The Carmagnola, Italy, native earned a trio of wins against top-20 opponents in the back draw at ITA All-Americans en route to finishing runner-up in the consolation bracket. Castellano started her success against No. 20 Mariana Petrei of Idaho, winning 6-0, 6-3. The next round brought No. 19 Alle Sanford from UNC. Castellano breezed to a 6-1, 6-1 victory. In the semifinals, Castellano was opposite net of No. 11 Carla Touly from Florida State, where Castellano would advance 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-3.
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5. HOW'D SHE GET HERE: Castellano journey to her senior year at Wisconsin has been a unique one as she began her collegiate career at McNeese State before competing at Kansas State for two years. She sat out the 2016-17 season for Wisconsin before finally seeing the court in 2017-18, when she pieced together a 16-15 doubles mark and 19-11 singles record.
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4. ABOUT THE TOURNAMENT: The Oracle National Fall Championships is in its second year after replacing the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships. It is the lone event in college tennis to feature players from all five divisions - NCAA Division I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO . The tournament features a 64-player singles draw and a 32-team doubles draw and players qualified through designated placing at earlier ITA Regional Championships and ITA National Championships.
Â
The men's and women's singles champions will receive main draw wildcards into a 2019 Oracle Challenger Series tournament.
Â
5. SCHEDULE: The tournament starts on Wednesday at 9 a.m. CT in Surprise, Arizona, at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex. The singles finals on Sunday will stream live on ESPN3 and the ESPN App and will be shown on a tape delay on ESPNU.
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