CARY, N.C. – Old Dominion senior Sofia Johnson made a deep run in the ITA All-American Championships this week going 4-2 in the event and advancing to the consolation semifinals at the Cary Tennis Center this weekend.
“Sofia had an amazing run at All-American Championships beating many ranked opponents down the road. She came slightly short against two top ten ranked players which definitely puts her among the nation’s best. Overall, we are very proud of her,” said ODU Associate Head Coach Yana Sokolenko.
“This tournament was a very strong event and I am happy with how I played this week. I kept my focus more so on myself and my game than on whom I was playing. I just thought about the weapons I have and to use them to be in control of the points,” Johnson said.
Johnson, who entered the tournament ranked 37th nationally, opened play against 16th-ranked Julia Garcia Ruiz of Oklahoma and took a 6-1, 6-1 win. She was consistent in that match winning the last five games of each set to dispose of her first-round opponent on Wednesday.
Her second-round match on Thursday was against Imogen Haddad of Southern Cal and Johnson followed suit of Wednesday’s match by blitzing Haddad 6-2, 6-1. In each set, Johnson jumped out to a 4-0 lead en route to advancing to the Round of 16.
In her round of 16 match, she faced eighth-ranked Savannah Broadus of Pepperdine and fell in a tough 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 match on Friday. The third set saw them tied at 5-5, but Broadus took the final two games.
On Saturday, Johnson had to win a pair of matches to stay in the event and she did that in three-set victories. She opened the day with a 3-6, 6-1, 6-3 win over 23rd-ranked Luciana Perry of Ohio State. In that decisive third set, Johnson raced out to a 4-1 lead and advanced with the victory.
Later on Saturday, Johnson took on 55th-ranked Piper Charney of Michigan and scored a 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4) win. The third set went back and forth and gave a moment where Johnson found another gear to get through.
“My second match on Saturday (against Michigan) I was down 6-5 and knew I had to come up with something to carry through the tiebreaker. While that point didn’t start off well with a double fault, I just kept saying to myself ‘this isn’t over till it’s over’ and got through,” said Johnson.
Her run ended on Sunday morning as she fell 6-1, 6-2 to second-ranked Dasha Vidmanova of Georgia in the consolation semifinals.
ODU will next see action on October 17-20 at the ITA Regionals in Charlottesville.
ITA All-American Championship Results
At Cary, N.C.
(# - National Ranking)
Consolation Semifinals
#2 Dasha Vidmanova (Georgia) def. #37 Sofia Johnson 6-1, 6-2
Consolation Quarterfinals
#37 Sofia Johnson def. #55 Piper Charney (Michigan) 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (7-4)
Consolation Round of 16
#37 Sofia Johnson def. #23 Lucianna Perry (Ohio State) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
Round of 16
#8 Savannah Broadus (Pepperdine) def. #37 Sofia Johnson 6-1, 4-6, 7-5
Round of 32
#37 Sofia Johnson def. Imogen Haddad (USC) 6-2, 6-1
Round of 64
#37 Sofia Johnson def. #16 Julia Garcia Ruiz (Oklahoma) 6-1, 6-1