Rhona Cook Wins The Gold Draw Title At The Cal Fall Invitational

Sunday, October 1

Berkeley, Calif.

Long Beach State University

Cal Fall Invitational

Rhona Cook Wins The Gold Draw Title At The Cal Fall Invitational

10/1/2023 8:18:00 PM | Women's Tennis

As a team, Long Beach State had an excellent final day winning 8-of-11 matches

By: Lindy Zamora, Associate Athletic Communications Director

Results

BERKELEY, Calif. – Long Beach State's Rhona Cook turned in an incredible performance on Sunday at the Cal Fall Invitational as she captured the Gold Draw Title.

The senior from the United Kingdom found herself facing junior Lan Mi from host school, Cal, in the Finals of the Gold Draw. Cook took down Mi in the first set 6-4, then the two went head-to-head in the second set. Championship point was an epic battle of 32 strokes before Cook went down the line for the title.

Rhona's Gold draw title match point at Cal pic.twitter.com/qV9V4Xb2xL
— LBSU Women's Tennis (@LBSUTennis) October 2, 2023

In addition to Cook's singles victory to capture the title, the Beach also had several other players earn wins on the final day of competition. In singles action, LBSU sent Paulina Franco Martinessi, Peppi Ramstedt, Justine Dondonay, Sarah Medik, and Doga Akyurek into action in the Sunday Extra Singles.

Franco Martinessi picked up a three-set victory over Santa Clara's Velizara Fileva by scores of 6-3, 4-6, and 10-6. Dondonay, Medik, and Akyurek followed suit as Dondonay defeated UC Davis's Olive Maunupau, 6-4, 6-2. Medik took down Cal's Erin Richardson, 6-4, 7-6, and Akyurek claimed a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Anastasia Luneva from Nevada.

In doubles action, Ramstedt and Cook teamed up to defeat Gonzaga's Carolina Wernli and Lia Espinal by a convincing score of 8-2. Meanwhile, Mathilde Tranberg and Hana Becirovic Novak edged Nevada's Emily Robertson and Gabriela Charalampidi in a thrilling 8-7 victory.

Becirovic Novak also competed in the Semifinals of the White Draw. She faced Sacramento State's Irene Riva in a three-set showdown. Becirovic won the first set, 6-4, but Riva came back to take the next two, 6-4, 6-4, to advance to the Finals. Riva would go on to win the White Draw.

LBSU returns home to host the Beach Tennis Fall Tournament at Rhodes Tennis Center on the campus of Long Beach State. The tournament will run from Friday, Oct. 6 – Sunday, Oct. 8.

Blue – Doubles
Round of 16
Valencia Xu & Eleana Yu (Stanford) def. Peppi Ramstedt & Rhona Cook (LBSU), 8-5

Gold – Doubles
Round of 16
Juliette Daries & TianYu Dong (Cal State Fullerton) def. Justine Dondonay & Sarah Medik (LBSU), 8-6

White – Doubles
Round of 16
Doga Akyurek & Paulina Franco Martinessi (LBSU) def. Qianer Qiu & Julia Visaya (San Francisco), 8-6

Quarterfinals
Romane Mosse & Eliza Bates (Cal Poly) def. Doga Akyurek & Paulina Franco Martinessi (LBSU), 8-6

Grey – Doubles
Round of 16
Anastasia Luneva & Wiem Boubaker (Nevada) def. Mathidle Tranberg & Hana Becirovic Novak (LBSU), 8-4

Extra Saturday 1 – Doubles
Round of 32
Katja Wiersholm & Makenna Thiel (Cal) def. Peppi Ramstedt & Rhona Cook (LBSU), 8-4
Mathilde Tranberg & Hana Becirovic Novak (LBSU) def. Jovana Babic & Olaya Bances Iglesias (SJSU), 8-3
Olive Maunupau & Daisy Maunupau (UC Davis) def. Justine Dondonay & Sarah Medik (LBSU), 8-2
Doga Akyurek & Paulina Franco Martinessi (LBSU) def. Ella Nielsen & Rose Hayes (Gonzaga), 8-2

Sunday Extra – Doubles
Round of 64
Peppi Ramstedt & Rhona Cook (LBSU) def. Caroline Wernli & Lia Espinal (Gonzaga), 8-2
Olive Maunupau & Daisy Maunupau (UC Davis) def. Justine Dondonay & Sarah Medik (LBSU), 8-3
Mathilde Tranberg & Hana Becirovic Novak (LBSU) def. Emily Robertson & Gabriela Charalampidi (Nevada), 8-7

Gold – Singles
Round of 64
Justine Dondonay (LBSU) def. Olivia Rook (Saint Mary's), 6-3, 6-4

Round of 32
Justine Dondonay (LBSU) def. Madelyn Ferreros (Sacramento State), 6-2, 6-4

Round of 16
Lan Mi (Cal) def. Justine Dondonay (LBSU), 6-1, 6-0

Round of 64
Amy Leather (Cal Poly) def. Paulina Franco Martinessi (LBSU), 6-7 (5), 6-3, 3-6

Round of 64
Rhona Cook (LBSU) def. Elena Mercioiu (Sacramento State), 6-3, 7-6

Round of 32
Rhona Cook (LBSU) def. Carla Pacot (UCSB), 7-6, 7-6

Round of 16
Rhona Cook (LBSU) def. Madison Smith (BYU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4

Quarterfinals
Rhona Cook (LBSU) def. Emilee Astle (BYU), W/D

Semifinals
Rhona Cook (LBSU) def. Tina Li (BYU), W/O

Finals
Rhona Cook (LBSU) def. Lan Mi (Cal), 6-4, 6-3

Round of 64
Doga Akyurek (LBSU) def. Rose Hayes (Gonzaga), 3-6, 6-2, 7-5

Round of 32
Kennedy Buntrock (Cal Poly) def. Doga Akyurek (LBSU), W/D

Blue – Singles
Round of 64
TianYu Dong (Saint Mary's) def. Sarah Medik (LBSU), 6-0, 6-3

Round of 64
Peyton Dunkle (Cal Poly) def. Peppi Ramstedt (LBSU), 6-0, 0-6, 6-2

White – Singles
Round of 32
Varvara-Maryia Zlotnik (Santa Clara) def. Mathilde Tranberg (LBSU), 6-2, 6-2

Round of 32
Hana Becirovic Novak (LBSU) def. Claire Galerkin (UC Davis), 6-4, 6-1

Round of 16
Hana Becirovic Novak (LBSU) def. Wiem Boubaker (Nevada), 3-6, 7-5, 6-4

Quarterfinals
Hana Becirovic Novak (LBSU) def. Caroline Wernli (Gonzaga) – 6-2, 1-6, 7-5

Semifinals
Irene Riva (Sacramento State) def. Hana Becirovic Novak (LBSU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

Sunday Extra – Singles
Round of 128
Paulina Franco Martinessi (LBSU) def. Velizara Fileva (Santa Clara), 6-3, 4-6, 10-6
Carolina Millan (SJSU) def. Peppi Ramstedt (LBSU), 6-4, 6-1
Justine Dondonay (LBSU) def. Olive Maunupau (UC Davis), 6-4, 6-2
Sarah Medik (LBSU) def. Erin Richardson (Cal), 6-4, 7-6
Doga Akyurek (LBSU) def. Anastasia Luneva (Nevada), 6-4, 6-4