FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The Arkansas women’s tennis team will have one player representing the program this week at the nationally renowned 2014 Riviera/ITA Women’s All-American Championships held in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Sophomore Shannon Hudson was selected to compete in the singles qualifying draw and will begin play Sept. 30.
The tournament is already underway as the prequalifying draw concluded Sept. 28. The qualifying draw starts Sept. 30 and the main draw is set to begin Oct. 2.
Eight players from the qualifying bracket of 64 will move on to the main draw. Hudson will need three consecutive wins in order to advance. She faces Daneika Borthwick of Florida State in her opening match at 11:15 a.m. PDT on Tuesday.
“I’m proud to be representing the Hogs in the biggest tournament of the fall this week,” Hudson said.
The tournament is annually the premiere event of the fall schedule across the country and attracts the nation’s top players. In addition to four of the preseason top five singles players competing in the tournament, the Riviera/ITA singles field includes a total of seventeen returning ITA All-Americans.
“Being selected for the All-American Championship is a feather in Shannon’s cap,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “It is the nation’s best players and we’re excited to compete with them.”
The Virginia Beach, Va., native and fourth-generation Razorback will be the 21st player to compete in the tournament under 12th-year head coach Michael Hegarty. Sarah McLean competed last season for Arkansas in the singles prequalifying draw. Aurelija Miseviciute advanced to the quarterfinals in 2007, marking the deepest run a Razorback has made in the tournament.
Hudson is ranked No. 121 in singles by the ITA in their 2014 preseason poll after she posted an impressive freshman campaign. She tallied a 20-8 overall singles record, including 13-6 in dual play and 3-2 in SEC action. She was one of just five freshman in the conference to record 13 or more dual wins.
For results from each day’s action, check ArkansasRazorbacks.com and follow @RazorbackWTEN on Twitter.
About the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships
The ITA Women's All-American Championships were first inaugurated in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and have been hosted by the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, California since 1986. Now, thirty-one years since the inaugural tournament, the Riviera/ITA Women's All-American Championships continue to bring together the finest returning singles and doubles competitors from the previous season with the cream of the crop of the incoming freshman class for a fantastic week of tennis.