UGA tennis team freshman Katarina Jokic continued an amazing start to her collegiate career as she has reached the ITA Southeast Regional singles final at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex.

 
Jokic, seeded seventh, improved to 17-2 with two more wins over ranked opponents Sunday. She began the day by upsetting 23rd-ranked Johnnise Renaud (Georgia Tech) 6-1,6-1 and ousted the top seed in 11th-ranked Estela Perez-Somarriba (Miami) in the semifinals 7-5,7-5. Against Perez-Somarriba, Jokic got down a couple of breaks to trail 4-0 before roaring back to square the match at 5-all. Jokic held serve to take her first lead at 6-5 and then picked up a break to win the first set.
 
 
Jokic jumped ahead 4-1 in the second set and had four match points at 5-3 but the Hurricane sophomore, who reached the semifinals of the NCAA Championships last year, extended the match. At 5-all, Jokic found herself trailing 15-40 but came back to hold serve and then broke her again for the match and earn a spot in the final.
 
 
“In the semifinals, I started playing the match very aggressive and my opponent was playing well and liked that style because she’s a good player,” said Jokic. “I made some adjustments, played a little different and just tried to stay focused. I got a little tight in the game when I had a chance to close it out and just tried to relax and keep my focus and then I played much better.”
 
 
Meanwhile, Georgia sophomore Marta Gonzalez, who is ranked No. 105, saw her tournament run end in the quarterfinals as she fell to the number two seed in 15th-ranked Anna Danilina (Florida) 6-4,6-4. Gonzalez is 15-3 this fall. The singles final will feature Jokic versus Danilina at 10 a.m. Admission is free, and if there is rain Monday, the matches will be held at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Courts.
 
 
Georgia’s duo of Mariana Gould and Jokic advanced to the doubles semifinal before being edged by the top seed and nation’s third-ranked duo of Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones of Georgia Tech 8-7(5). The Bulldog tandem is 10-2 this fall.
 
 
“We played a lot of good matches today, and it’s exciting to see Katarina in the final plus have Morgan and Mariana in the consolation final,” said Georgia coach Jeff Wallace. “We had our chances in the doubles, but that’s just experience, and we’ll learn from it. I’m looking forward to the singles finals.
 
 
In consolation action, Gould and Bulldog freshman Morgan Coppoc won two matches apiece and now will square off in the finals Monday. Gould defeated FIU’s Nerma Caluk 7-5,6-3 and then beat Maria Martinez of Central Florida 6-1,6-2 to reach the final. Coppoc beat Ariana Rahmanparast (FSU) 7-5,6-4 and then rallied past Silvia Bordes (UCF) 5-7,6-1,10-4.
 
 
The tournament field feature student-athletes from 17 different schools located in the state of Georgia and Florida. Regional winners will advance to the Oracle/ITA Fall National Championships next month in Indian Wells, California. Admission is free for the tournament, and it runs through Monday.
 
 
CLICK HERE for Monday’s doubles and singles draws.
 

ITA Southeast Regional Results

 
MAIN DRAW Singles Quarterfinals
 
#11 Estela Perez-Somarriba {1} (UM) def. #93 Brooke Austin {5} (UF) 4-6,6-3,6-2
Katarina Jokic {7) (UGA) def. #23 Johnnise Renaud {3} (GT) 6-1,6-1
#49 Paige Hourigan {4} (GT) def. Victoria Flores {6}(GT) 6-3,6-2
#15 Anna Danilina {2}(UF) def. #105 Marta Gonzalez (8} (UGA) 6-4,6-4
MAIN DRAW Singles Semifinals
Katarina Jokic {7) (UGA) def. #11 Estela Perez-Somarriba {1} (UM) 7-5,7-5
#15 Anna Danilina {2}(UF) def. #49 Paige Hourigan {4} (GT) 6-2,7-5
#=ITA Ranking; {X}=Seed
 
 
MAIN DRAW Doubles Semifinals
 
#3 Hourigan/Jones {1} (GT) def. Gould/Jokic {4} (UGA) 8-7(5)
Grib/Veksler (FIU) def. Jarlskog/Renaud {5} (GT) 8-6
#=ITA Ranking; {X}=Seed
 
 
CONSOLATION Doubles Quarterfinals
 
Boltinskaya/Thomas (FAU) def. Schpers/Sidor (MU) 8-5
Rehse/Vovk (GST) def. Cantrell/Mercado (KSU) 8-1
Flores/Otsuka (GT) advances over Bujan/Monsey (GSO) via walkover
Cardoso/Cortes (USF) def. Bordes/Granstrom (UCF) 8-6
 
 
CONSOLATION Doubles Semifinals
 
Boltinskaya/Thomas (FAU) def. Rehse/Vovk (GST) 8-1
Flores/Otsuka (GT) def. Cardoso/Cortes (USF) 8-3
 
 
CONSOLATION Doubles Final
 
Flores/Otsuka (GT) def. Boltinskaya/Thomas (FAU) 8-3
 
 
CONSOLATION Singles Qtrs. For Main Draw 1st Round Losers
 
Maria Martinez (UCF) def. Elizabet Danailova (GST) 6-2,6-4
Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Nerma Caluk (FIU) 7-5, 6-3
Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Ariana Rahmanparast (FSU) 7-5,6-4
Silvia Bordes (UCF) def. Gabrielle Goldin (FSU) 6-3,6-0
CONSOLATION Singles Semis For Main Draw 1st Round Losers
Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Maria Martinez (UCF) 6-1,6-2
Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Silvia Bordes (UCF) 5-7,6-1,10-4
 
 
CONSOLATION Singles Semis For Main Draw 2nd Round Losers
 
Maryna Veksler (FIU) def. Jessica Cortes (USF) 6-1, 6-3
Ulyana Shirokova (UM) def. Ana Roman Dominquez (USF) 6-2,4-6,10-4
CONSOLATION Singles Final For Main Draw 2nd Round Losers
Ulyana Shirokova (UM) def. Maryna Veksler (FIU) 6-3,6-0