From Emory University Athletics
Emory University junior Bea Rosen battled the Atlanta heat and a
pair of teammates successfully Sunday afternoon and captured the
USTA/ITA Regional Singles Championship. Rosen earned her
first ITA title defeating fellow Eagle Katarina Su, 6-2, 3-6,
6-3, marking the 13th consecutive year that an
Emory players has won that crown. Earlier in the day, Rosen
bested freshman Bridget Harding, 6-4, 6-2, in the
semifinals.
In a match that proved to be a battle of attrition waged on the
baseline, Rosen was broken by Su in the first game of the opening
set, but rallied to capture the next four games, breaking Su twice
in the process. With each player holding their following service
opportunities, Rosen broke her sophomore teammate again to claim
the set. Undaunted, Su regrouped and evened the
match in the second set, breaking Rosen in the ninth game to close
it out.
The decisive third set was a battle of the breaks with Rosen
bolting to a 3-0 lead thanks in part to breaking Su twice. Su
responded by winning three of the next four games, taking away
Rosen's serve twice, to creep back to within a 3-4 deficit.
However, Rosen got control of the match back in the eighth game,
ignoring a 15-30 score, to post a 5-3 advantage. The set
would end as it started, with Rosen breaking Su to wrap up the
contest that lasted almost three and one-half hours.
By virtue of her championship performance, Rosen captures All-America honors for the second time in her career and will advance to the ITA National Small College Championship, Oct. 9-12, in Sumter, South Carolina.