Women's Tennis 10/3/2021 7:31:00 PM Chris Brannick

Canetes Win ITA Regional Titles

Broncho Sisters Win Doubles Title After Meeting In Singles Final

EDMOND – The 2021 ITA Central Regional Championships wrapped up Sunday at Edmond Center Court with a celebration of Broncho tennis.

The day began with an all-UCO semifinals in the Singles draw. Mae Canete beat teammate Grace Chadick while Christine Canete defeated teammate Adel-Byanu Abidullina. Mae then topped Christine for the ITA Central Regional Singles title, winning 6-4, 7-5 in the final.

After a short break, it was time for the Doubles draw semis and Central again was there to dominate.

Abidullina and Nikki Boyar made the semis but fell short there. The Canete sisters picked up a win in their semifinal and then blew through the competition in the final, clinching the ITA Central Regional Doubles title with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over an Augustana (S.D.) duo.

The win advances Mae individually to the ITA National Championships in Rome, Ga. in two weeks. The Canete sisters also clinched an automatic berth to nationals with their win.

The 2021 ITA National Championships consist of eight automatic qualifiers in both singles and doubles from each region around the country. The ITA will also make eight at-large selections next week to determine the rest of the 16-person/team finals.

Mae, who went 23-0 during her freshman season last year, came into this weekend's tournament 3-0 for her sophomore season. She added six wins in three days at Edmond Center Court to extend her career record to 32-0 in singles play. Mae won 6-0, 6-0 in the Round of 64, 6-1, 6-0 in the Round of 32, 6-2, 6-0 in the Round of 16, 6-0, 6-1 in the quarterfinals, and 6-0, 6-1 in the semis. In the finals, Mae won a back-and-forth affair 6-4, 7-5 against her little sister in the championship.

Christine was the 11-seed in the field of 64. She won 6-2, 6-3 in the Round of 64 before logging a 6-0, 6-1 in the Round of 32. A 6-1, 6-0 win in the Round of 16 followed. In the quarters, she won 7-6 (1), 6-1 over teammate Tizia Brocks before beating Abidullina 6-5, 6-2 in the semis. Her match in the finals against older sister, Mae was the third straight against an opponent in the same uniform.

The two were outstanding this weekend separate from one another. They were better together.

The L.A. sisters were the three-seed in the Doubles draw. The Broncho duo won 8-3 in the Round of 32, 8-2 in the quarterfinals, then 8-2 again in the semifinals. The championship went to a best-of-three series to six points. That's where Mae and Christine destroyed Augustana's Laura Arce Vieyra and Gabriela Jancikova not just in straight sets, but 6-0, 6-0.

Abidullina had a strong weekend in both singles and doubles action. The two-time MIAA Player of the Year won her first four matches without much deterrence. She won 6-1, 6-2 in the Round of 64, 6-0, 6-4 in the Round of 32, and 6-1, 6-2 in the Round of 16. Abidullina then won 6-0, 6-1 to reach the semifinals before ending her run there. In doubles play, with Boyar, they won their first three matches to reach the semis. The duo won 8-1, 8-4, and 8-0 before falling in the semis Sunday evening.

Chadick, a true freshman at Central, won 6-2, 6-4 in her ITA Central Regional debut before winning both of the next two matches in third-set tiebreakers. The Chicago, Ill. native won 6-4, 2-6 (10-1) and 6-4, 4-6 (11-9) to reach the semis before ending her run there.

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Players Mentioned

Adel-Byanu Abidullina: 5' 10"; Junior

Nikki Boyar: 5' 2"; Junior

Mae Canete: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Tizia Brocks: 5' 9"; Graduate Student

Christine Canete: 5' 5"; Freshman

Grace Chadick: 5' 6"; Freshman

Players Mentioned

Adel-Byanu Abidullina
: 5' 10"; Junior

Nikki Boyar
: 5' 2"; Junior

Mae Canete
: 5' 3"; Sophomore

Tizia Brocks
: 5' 9"; Graduate Student

Christine Canete
: 5' 5"; Freshman

Grace Chadick
: 5' 6"; Freshman