Urbina Wins ITF $10,000 Mazatlan
Sep 26, 2010 | Women's Tennis
Sept. 26, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - Texas A&M's Nazari Urbina won the first International Tennis Federation-sanctioned tournament of her career, capturing the championship title at the ITF $10,000 Mazatlan today in Mazatlan, Mexico.
Competing as an amateur, the sophomore from Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, won all five matches in straight sets to win the tournament, including a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Yasmin Schnack of the United States in today's championship match. Schnack recently completed a stellar four-year career at UCLA, where she was a two-time All-American in singles and was No. 7 in the 2010 final Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) singles rankings.
"I've been playing really well and was serving really well," Urbina said. "Plus the weather was hot and humid, similar to Texas, and that helped me throughout the tournament because some of the other players were not used to it and got tired or exhausted."
Urbina, the tournament's No. 3 seed, opened the 32-player main draw by defeating Jeannette Moesgen of Mexico, 6-0, 6-2. Urbina then defeated Noel Scott of the United States, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round.
Urbina eliminated Yawna Allen of the U.S., 6-3, 6-1, in the quarterfinals. The 24-year old Allen played her college tennis at Oklahoma State.
Urbina then defeated Nadia Echeverria of the U.S., 6-4, 6-1, in the semifinals to set up the showdown with Schnack.
"I had a lot of people there to support me and cheer me on, and my mom was there, so that was really nice," Urbina said. "And it was special that the first tournament that I won was in Mexico."
Urbina entered the tournament listed No. 966 in the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) rankings. The WTA is the world's principal organizing body of women's professional tennis.
"This tournament will help improve my WTA ranking and help me and the team and the university," Urbina added. "I just have to keep working hard and keep going."
She is looking forward to using her resent results to help springboard her into her next tournament, when she will represent Texas A&M at the ITA Riviera All-American Championships in Pacific Palisades, Calif., beginning Oct. 2. Urbina is in the qualifying draw in singles and will compete with Aggie teammate Morgan Frank in the main draw of doubles.
"I'm feeling really good, and I think this tournament will help prepare me for the ITA All-Americans," Urbina added.
This past spring, Urbina became A&M's first-ever freshman to compete in the NCAA Singles Championship and ended her rookie season 32-6 (.842), ranking fourth in the A&M all-time records for wins and second for winning percentage in a single season. An All-Big 12 selection in both singles and doubles and the Big 12 Conference No. 2 singles champion, Urbina was named the 2010 ITA Texas Region Player to Watch and finished the year listed No. 50 in final ITA singles rankings.
