Cary, N.C. – Texas Women’s Tennis freshman Carmen Herea advanced to the second round of the singles main draw at the ITA All-American Championships on Tuesday in Cary, N.C. 

Herea defeated No. 73 Eleana Yu of Duke, 7-6 (2), 6-3, for her sixth-straight win of the tournament after beginning the prequalifying draw. 

In a first set that featured eight deuce points, Yu opened the match with a break on one of them, but Herea broke back and held for a 2-1 lead. Yu later broke for a 3-2 lead, but Herea again answered it for 3-3. Yu broke for a third time on a deuce point to regain a 5-4 lead, but just as she did following the previous two breaks, Herea once again responded, breaking back on a deuce point to even it before holding on another deuce point for a 6-5 lead. Yu then also held to send the set to a tiebreaker where Herea jumped out to leads of 3-0 and 6-1 before closing it at 7-2.

In the second set, Herea kept it going by opening with a break and a hold for a 2-0 lead. She broke again for 4-1, but Yu broke back and held on deuce points in the next two games to get within 4-3. That would be as close as she would get, as Herea finished with a hold and a deuce-point break for the win. Next up, Herea will take on 10 seed #12 Julia Fliegner of Michigan at 10 a.m. ET/9 a.m. CT.

A short time later, freshman No. 104 Ashton Bowers came extremely close to a top-five win, but came up just short in a third-set tiebreaker to 5 seed #5 Ange Oby Kajuru of Oklahoma State, 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5). 

The first set belonged to Bowers, who closed on a 5-0 run after the first three games stayed on serve for a 2-1 lead for Kajuru. The run for Bowers included winning the final 10 points of the set.

In the second set, Bowers broke on deuce points for leads of 2-1 and 3-2, but Kajuru went on a 4-0 run from there to send it to a deciding set. In the third, Bowers broke for a 3-1 lead, but Kajuru answered it to start a 3-0 run and take a 4-3 advantage. Bowers broke back and held to regain the lead, 5-4, and the rest of the set stayed on serve to a tiebreaker. There, Kajuru pushed out to a 4-1 lead, and although Bowers came back to tie it, 5-5, Kajuru managed to secure the final two points to win. Bowers had been scheduled to move into the consolation draw against Gabia Paskauskas of NC State, however Bowers completed her run at the tournament with a walkover.

2024 ITA Women’s All-American Championships

Tournament Central

Singles Main Draw Round of 64 – Wednesday, Sept. 25

Carmen Herea (TEXAS) vs. #73 Eleana Yu (DUKE), 7-6 (2), 6-3

5 seed #5 Ange Oby Kajuru (OKST) def. #104 Ashton Bowers (TEXAS), 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (5)

Singles Main Draw Round of 32 – Thursday, Sept. 26

Carmen Herea (TEXAS) vs. 10 seed #12 Julia Fliegner (MICH), 1:30 p.m. ET/12:30 p.m. CT

Singles Main Draw Consolation Qualifying Round of 32 – Thursday, Sept. 26

#104 Ashton Bowers (TEXAS) vs. Gabia Paskauskas (NCSU), WO – Bowers