Jokic Finesses Semifinals to Reach ITA Fall National Championship

Saturday, November 10

Surprise, Ariz.

TBA

University of Georgia

ITA National Fall Championships

Jokic Finesses Semifinals to Reach ITA Fall National Championship

November 10, 2018 | Women's Tennis

Jokic Finesses Semifinals to Reach ITA Fall National Championship

SURPRISE, ARIZ. --- In an error-free semifinal, sophomore Katarina Jokic methodically defeated Vanderbilt's Catherine Rosca, 6-1, 6-0, Saturday to advance to the ITA National Fall Singles Championship, which is to be aired Sunday on ESPN3.

"Kat continues to look better each day of this tournament," Georgia associate head coach Drake Bernstein said. "This was definitely her most complete math mentally. We are keeping the focus on improving throughout this event and gaining useful experience for down the road."

The 2018 Oracle ITA National Fall Championships women's singles finals will stream live on ESPN3 and the ESPN App on Sunday, Nov. 11th, beginning at 1 p.m. EDT. Jokic, ranked eighth in ITA singles, is set to play 18th-ranked Kate Fahey of Michigan.

Bernstein added, "Tomorrow, we will aim to keep the focus on doing the best that she can do, control the things that she can control and enjoy the experience."

Jokic, ranked eighth in ITA singles, did not drop a service game against the 30th-ranked Commodore junior. It was second meeting of the season for the two Southeastern Conference foes and each has ended with the Bulldog on top.

In Saturday's match, the two held serve until Jokic broke Rosca's second serve to make it 3-1. Rosca almost broke Jokic back, forcing a break point, but Jokic tightened up to hold serve and go up 4-1. Another Vanderbilt service break and hold sealed up the first set for Georgia. In all, Jokic saved both break points against her and won two of three against Rosca.

Momentum carried into the second set as Jokic obtained the first advantage, breaking Rosca's serve for the third time in a row. With Jokic up 2-0, Rosca led 40-0 in her service game, but roaring back Jokic took the game and the commanding 3-0 lead. Jokic finished out the set strong, which totalled three break point wins in four chances.

In its second year, having replaced the ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships, the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships is the lone event on the collegiate tennis calendar to feature competitors from all five divisions (NCAA Divisions I, II and III, NAIA and JUCO) playing in the same tournament. The winner of the 64-player singles draw will receive a main draw wildcard into a 2019 Oracle Challenger Series tournament.

The singles championships will re-air on ESPNU on Tuesday, Nov. 13th, at 3 p.m. EDT.

Draws, schedule of play, daily recaps and a photo gallery can be found on the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships event page . Live scoring via Tennis Ticker will be available, while TempuZ will provide live streaming coverage from two courts at the Surprise Tennis & Racquet Complex. Links to both live scoring and streaming are also available on the event page. You can also follow the conversation on Twitter by following @ITA_Tennis and @OracleTennis and using the hashtag #ITAFallNats.

For more information on Georgia women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter @UGAWomensTennis, Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (Georgia Women's Tennis).