Cobb and Drane broke Berckes and Menezes early in the first set, but that did not phase the defending champions. Berckes and Menezes did not break away from their game plan, as they stayed at the net forcing the Denison duo to execute well-placed passing shots and high deep lobs. The Amherst team took the first set 6-4.

Cobb and Drane showed their resiliency in the second set as they again broke Berckes and Menezes early in the second set. However, the experience of the Amherst duo proved to be too much as they continued to apply pressure at the net for volley winners or unforced Denison errors. Berckes and Menezes won the last three service games of the set to win the match 6-4, 6-3. The Amherst pair become the fourth consecutive doubles team to be back-to-back champions dating back to 2001.

In the singles final between Siobhan Finicane and Cary Gibson, Finicane won three straight service games for a 5-2 lead in the first set. Gibson held serve to bring the score to 5-3, but was unable to break Finicane’s serve in the next game as Finicane won the set 6-3.

However, everyone in the crowd knew the match was far from over as Cary Gibson became known as the comeback kid on the tennis grounds with several come-from-behind three-set victories. Today was no different. After Finicane broke to go up 5-2 in the second set, Gibson dug deep to earn one of the service breaks back as she won the ensuing game on Finicane’s serve. Gibson was not about to give up without a fight, though, as she won the remaining four games with a series of blistering two-handed backhands to even the match at one set apiece at 7-5 in the second set.

Each player traded service breaks in the second set, before Finicane broke Gibson twice for a 4-1 lead thanks to hustling on the baseline and well-placed first serves. Gibson showed more grit in the next service game as she erased one service break to cut the margin to 4-2. Finicane was not about to let the set get away from her again as she raised her play to another level to win the next two service games for the set and the championship by the score of 6-3, 5-7, 6-2.

Finicane becomes the first women’s tennis player from Pomona-Pitzer since 1994 to win a singles title. Gibson was the first women’s tennis player in Williams history to make an appearance in the singles final.

Finicane was ahead 5-2 in the second set before Gibson battled back to win the second set 7-5. Finicane regained the momentum when she broke Gibson in the first service game of the third set. From that point, Finicane took control of the match to be the first player from Pomona-Pitzer since 1994 to win the singles title.

More details to follow.

The last two doubles matches of the day went to three sets each as both seeded teams fell to unranked opponents. Kristin Cobb and Marta Drane of Denison upset the fourth-seeded team of Alicia Hunt and Laura Steinmetz of Trinity (Texas) 7-6 (3), 1-6, 6-3, while Jennifer Chui and Amy Staloch of Carnegie Mellon upended the second-seeded duo of Lauren Caire and Katie Tabb of Washington and Lee 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.

Hunt and Steinmetz appeared to have the first set under control with a 5-3 lead, but Cobb and Drane clawed back to tie the set at 5-5. The Denison team went on to win the first set tiebreak 7-3. Hunt and Steinmetz did not give up as they cruised to a 6-1 victory in the second set to even the match. Before the third set got underway, officials moved the match indoors due to high winds.

The move indoors slowed down the momentum of Hunt and Steinmetz, as the momentum shifted back to Cobb and Drane, who took a 3-1 lead in the final set. Both pairings alternated service games until Cobb and Drane pulled out the win 6-3 in the last set.

A similar match took place in the other quarterfinal match between Chui and Staloch and Caire and Tabb as Caire and Tabb held a 5-3 advantage. Momentum swung quickly in favor of Chui and Staloch after the team from Carnegie Mellon fought off two set points to bring the match within 5-4. Chui and Staloch seized the opportunity and won the next three service games to win the set 7-5.

After playing to a 3-3 tie, play was moved indoors where Caire and Tabb had played earlier in the week during team competition. The team took advantage of the venue change to win the five straight games to take the second set 6-3 and a 2-0 lead in the third. Chui and Staloch got back on track when the pair broke serve in the next service game and went on to take a 4-2 lead en route to a 6-4 victory.

Defending doubles champions Brittany Berckes and Alicia Menezes will face Sabra Rogers and Tshema Nash in one semifinal, while Kristin Cobb and Marta Drane will square off against Jennifer Chui and Amy Staloch in the other semifinal match at noon (CDT).

The final singles and doubles matches will be webstreamed and are available to watch by clicking here. Gustavus assistant women’s tennis coach Jon Carlson will provide the play-by-play, while Gustavus Sports Information Director Tim Kennedy will provide the color commentary.

Berckes and Menezes won the first set 6-0 with long service games, including the sixth game that went four deuces before the game was won. Berckes and Menezes built a 3-1 lead to start the second set, but Morse-Karzen and Fugate never gave up as they tied the set at 5-5. However, Berckes and Menezes won the next two games to win the set 7-5, and advance to the semifinal. The third-seeded Berckes and Menezes are the defending national champions.

In another quarterfinal match, Rogers and Nash continued to play well as they won the first set 6-0 in 24 minutes. The Emory tandem took the first three games of the second set before Andrade and Smith got on the board to bring the score to 3-1. Andrade and Smith continued to fight for the match as they cut the margin to 5-3, but were unable to stop an Emory team that knocked off the top-seeded doubles pair one day earlier. Rogers and Nash sealed the set in the next game at 6-3.

The doubles semifinals have been moved to noon CDT on Sunday with the finals to be webstreamed at 2 p.m. CDT.

Finicane and Baljon were 2-2 in the first set, when Finicane won the next three games to go up 5-2. However, Baljon battled back to win the next two service games to tighten the match 5-4. Finicane and Baljon exchanged the first two points on Finicane’s serve before she won the next two points to win the set 6-4.

Baljon went up 30-0 in the first game of the second set, but Finicane took the next four points to break serve and go up 1-0. Finicane won the next five games to win the match and punch her ticket for the final. Finicane was a semifinalist in the 2007 championships, and lost to eventual national champion Liz Bondi. The last singles champion to come from Pomona-Pitzer was Claire Turchi in 1994.

Cary Gibson got out to a quick 5-1 start in the other semifinal contest over Meghan McCooey. After settling down, McCooey rattled off two straight games to close the margin to 5-3. In Gibson’s next service game, McCooey fought off two set points to bring the game to deuce before Gibson won the next two points to go up one set 6-3.

McCooey got an early break in the second set for a 2-0 lead, but Gibson won the two straight games to tie the set at 2-2. McCooey led the next game 30-15 before Gibson rallied to break McCooey to pull ahead 3-2. Gibson went on to win the next three games to close out the set and the match. Gibson was eliminated in the second round of the 2007 championships by Jordan Hook of Wheaton. Williams has never had a NCAA women’s tennis singles champion.

Finicane and Gibson will face off at noon CDT on Sunday. The match will be webstreamed through the Gustavus website.

After playing a first set that lasted 1 hour 23 minutes and featured a service game that endured 11 deuces, Grace Baljon won the set 7-6, 7-1 in the tiebreak. “Grace played the big points really well, and kudos to Lauren Caire for not letting up after that first set,” said Williams head coach Alison Swain.

Baljon held a 5-2 lead in the second set before Caire tightened the match after winning the next two service games to close the gap to 5-4. However, Baljon closed out the match by earning four consecutive points on her serve.

Siobhan Finicane of Pomona-Pitzer was the first player to stamp her name in the semifinals after she defeated Kristen Raymond of Bowdoin 6-4, 6-2 despite being down 3-0 in the early stages of the match. Meghan McCooey of Tufts advanced to the round of four by defeating Nicole Pontee of Vassar 7-5, 6-3. Finicane and Gibson are the only seeded players left in the draw.

Finicane will face Baljon, while Gibson will face McCooey, who is quietly moving through the draw.

This has the feel of two heavyweights duking it out in the 12th round of a title boxing match, but this is the first set of a quarterfinal tennis match. After every point, fans are cheering not wanting the game to end.

Wait, it has…finally in favor of Baljon, who is now ahead 6-5.

In other match updates, Siohban Finicane has defeated Raymond 6-4, 6-2. Meghan McCooey leads Nicole Pontee 7-5, 3-2. Naturally, Cary Gibson evened her match with Brittany Berckes by winning the second set 6-4.

The most intriguing match thus far has been between top-seed Siobhan Finicane and Kristen Raymond. Raymond had an early 3-0 lead before Finicane evened the match at 3-3. Since that point, both players have had grueling service games with each point lasting nearly 20 ground strokes between both players.

Fourth-seed Brittany Berckes just took the first set 6-3 against fifth-seed Cary Gibson. However, that is nothing new for Gibson as she has played her best this week when she has been down one set. For Gibson it has seemed that is when the match truly begins for her.