SAN DIEGO, Calif.—Members of the University of Hawai'i women's tennis team began competition in the ITA Southwest Regional Championships on Thursday. The women played the Round of 128 and the Round of 64 on Thursday and will begin doubles play on Friday, Oct. 20. Both Nelly Knezkova and Ana Vilcek survived to advance to Friday's Round of 32.
 
Four of six UH players won their Round of 128 opening match. At the Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center on the campus of San Diego, both Knezkova and Vilcek advanced, while at the Aztec Tennis Complex at San Diego State, both Nikola Homolkova and Sheena Masuda won their opening round matches.
 
In the Round of 128, Hawai'i's Vilcek nearly shut out Kamya Nair of UC Riverside in straight sets, 6-0, 6-1. Knezkova also won in two sets, 6-3, 6-4 over Arizona's Karissa Ghigiarelli. At SDSU, Homolkova almost blanked CSUN's Emma Moratalla Sanz, 6-1, 6-0. UH's Masuda battled back after dropping the first set to defeat UC Irvine's Kayla Meraz, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2.
 
In the Round of 64, after dropping the first set, Knezkova fought her way all the way back to edge out Arizona State's Patricija Spaka in a hard fought match, 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-4. Vilcek advanced after knocking off Arizona's Martyna Ostrazygalo, 6-4, 6-2. Homolkova captured the first set but later fell in a heartbreaker that ended with a third set tie-breaker to UCLA's Anne-Christiane Lutkemeyer, 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3).
 
On Friday, the women's Round of 32 will feature Knezkova vs. sixth-seeded Pepperdine's Nikki Redelijk, while Vilcek will take on UCLA's Elise Wagle. Both start times are still to be determined.
 
On Friday, the women's doubles competition will begin. At USD, UH's Anna Kerr/Joelle Lanz will take on USC's McKenna Koenig and Isabelle Lee at 6:00 a.m. HT.. Masuda and Vilcek will face UC Riverside's Maya Youssef and Nair at 6:00 a.m. HT.. At SDSU, Hawaii's Homolkova and Knezkova will face UCSD's Cincy Chen and Jorniak Polina at 6:30 a.m. HT..
The Rainbow Wahine who lost on the opening day will compete in consolation or extra matches on Friday. 

ITA Southwest Regional Championships
Skip and Cindy Hogan Tennis Center / Aztec Tennis Complex
Thursday, Oct. 19, 2023
 
Singles Results
Round of 128
At USD
Nelly Knezkova (UH) def. Karissa Ghigiarelli (UA), 6-3, 6-4
Kira Reuter (UCSB) def. Anna Kern (UH), 6-0, 6-3
Ana Vilcek (UH) def. Kamya Nair (UCR), 6-0, 6-1
 
At SDSU
Belen Nevenhoven (UA), def. Joelle Lanz (UH), 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
Nikola Homolkova (UH) def. Emma Moratalla Sanz (CSUN), 6-1, 6-0
Sheena Masuda (UH) def. Kayla Meraz (UCI), 2-6, 7-5, 6-2
 
Round of 64
At USD
Nelly Knezkova (UH) def. Patricija Spaka (ASU), 5-7, 7-6 (5), 6-4
Ana Vilcek (UH) def. Martyna Ostrzygalo (UA), 6-4, 6-2
 
At SDSU
Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (UCLA) def. Nikola Homolkova (UH), 2-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3)
(2) Savannah Broadus (PEPP) def. Sheena Masuda (UH) , 6-0, 6-0