Both DJ Bennett and Ashton Bowers competed in the main draw for bids to the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships this past week at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, North Carolina. Going into the tournament, the Auburn duo was ranked No. 3 in the nation for doubles, and both players are ranked highly in singles.
Both Bennett and Bowers advanced well, respectively. Bowers advanced to the central draw consolation semifinals and came within one win of earning a bid to the NCAA Singles Championships. She defeated Ozlem Uslu from Virginia Tech in straight sets. She then lost to Leyla Britez Risso from the University of Tennessee in a tight set, which sent her to the consolation round. Following those matches, she went on to defeat Sofia Rojas of the University of Georgia in a thrilling three-set match. Bowers received a walkover, which led to her final game on Sunday against Appalachian State’s Savannah Dada-Mascoll.
Bennett was thrown into the consolation draw after her loss against Savanna Dada-Mascroll of Appalachian State in a tight three-set match. She regained momentum and won over Gracie Epps of Oklahoma State, but ultimately lost in a tight three-set match against Epps in the consolation round.
In doubles, the Auburn duo teamed up and were fed into the consolation round after a main draw opening-round loss on Wednesday. They then won over Arkansas’ Anet Koskel and Gomez Alonso, a walkover, then advanced them to the consolation semifinals, where they lost to Rice’s Uma Bakaiyte and Darya Schwartzman.
Next up, the Auburn Tigers will host the ITA Southern Regional Championships at the Yarbrough Tennis Center in Auburn, Alabama, from October 13 to 17. One NCAA Doubles and Two NCAA Singles Championship bids will be awarded at the event.
