CARY, N.C. — Despite trailing by three games midway through the third set, Savannah Broadus pulled off an impressive comeback to beat #5 Reese Brantmeier of North Carolina in the ITA All-American Tournament consolation singles quarterfinals on Friday morning.
The 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 victory was not only #23 Broadus' (Carrollton, Texas) second singles win over a ranked opponent of the fall season, but also her best win over a ranked opponent in her career. Prior to Friday, Broadus had only beaten one top-10 singles opponent: She beat #6 Duke's Cameron Morra last season in the first round of the ITA Fall Singles Championship last year.
Playing against her third nationally-ranked opponent in as many days, Broadus fell behind early in the first set, as Brantmeier used her powerful first serve and deliberate groundstrokes to go up a break. Although Brantmeier eventually took a 5-1 lead, Broadus showed some resolve by rattling off the next four games to make the score 5-4. The Pepperdine junior faced two set points and nearly forced deuce point, yet Brantmeier would win the first set 6-4.
The second set was played on serve until Broadus struck first by breaking Brantmeier to take a 3-1 lead. In a turn of fortune, Brantmeier broke back thanks to a double-fault on set point and would go on to tie the second set at four games all. But Broadus would win a pivotal deuce point off Brantmeier in the next set before breaking Brantmeier and forcing a third set.
Yet Broadus would need to dig deep for one more comeback in the third set. The North Carolina sophomore broke Broadus at deuce point to take a 3-2 lead. From that point forward, Broadus had to battle back from behind.
Brantmeier would consolidate the break to go up 4-2, yet Broadus responded by holding serve in a pivotal seventh game. She then broke Brantmeier by winning four straight points — capped off by smoking a forehand past Brantmeier, who was playing up at the service line. In the next game, Broadus took a 5-4 lead when Brantmeier's forehand return went long on game point.
It was a lead she wouldn't relinquish.
In the final game, Broadus got ahead to a 30-15 lead, then forced match point when she charged at the net and sliced a shot past Brantmeier. Her three-set thriller ended not with a bang, but with a whimper, as Brantmeier double-faulted on match point.
With the win, Broadus will play Auburn graduate senior Carolyn Ansari in the consolation singles semifinals at 7 a.m. PT/10 a.m. local time on Saturday morning.
RESULTS
Consolation Singles Quarterfinals
#23 Broadus (PEPP) def. #5 Brantmeier (UNC), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4
SATURDAY'S MATCH
Consolation Singles Semifinals
#23 Broadus (PEPP) vs. #22 Ansari (AUB), 7 a.m. PT
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