The Daily Gamecock

South Carolina women's tennis: Players to watch

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The South Carolina women's tennis team began showcasing its talent this season with an impressive record of 4-1. The team's trip to the Australian Open in January was one of the many experiences these athletes have used to improve their game. 

With a tough schedule this year, the Gamecocks are looking to prove themselves and hold their place in the top 25. Here's a look at a few players to pay attention to this season:

Mia Horvit: Horvit began her college tennis career at South Carolina in 2016. Since then, the sophomore from Palm City, Florida has earned several honors, including being named to the ITA All-America Singles Team, All-SEC Freshman Team and the SEC First-Year Academic Honor Roll. In 2018, Horvit won a match against Madeline Meredith (Auburn), leading the Gamecocks to their first 7-0 start in program history, according to Gamecocks Online. During her sophomore season, Horvit came out with a 7-1 record at the No. 3 singles position and is currently undefeated in that position for the 2019 season. Horvit is currently ranked No. 69 in singles.

Ingrid Gamarra Martins: A native of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Ingrid Gamarra Martins is in her senior season. Throughout her years as a Gamecock, Gamarra Martins has remained on the SEC Academic Honor Roll and has been an ITA Scholar-Athlete for three years. During her sophomore season, she debuted at the NCAA singles tournament and returned in 2018. Gamarra Martins is the only South Carolina women's tennis player to have a singles ranking as high as No. 12 (2016-17, 2019). Together, Gamarra Martins and Horvit hold a No. 11 national ranking in doubles. 

Silvia Chinellato: The junior from Como, Italy is at the No. 5 singles position. During a 2017 match against Texas Tech, Chinellato and Megan Davies earned a career-best doubles win, taking down Tech's No.8-ranked doubles tandem. Chinellato and Davies came out of the 2017-18 season with a doubles record of 17-6. In her career at South Carolina, Chinellato has an overall singles record of 34-24. She was also an ITA Scholar-Athlete and a member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll for two years.

Megan Davies: One of South Carolina's youngest players, Megan Davies is a sophomore from Wolverhampton, England. In high school, she was ranked No. 208 in the world as a junior and won the singles and doubles draws at the Nike British Junior National Championships. Davies completed her freshman season with an overall record of 29-8, giving her the most singles wins of the season. During her freshman year, Davies also defeated a nationally ranked player for the first time in her college career. Paired with Rachel Rohrabacher in doubles, the two are currently 3-1 at the No. 2 position. 

Rachel Rohrabacher: At the singles No. 6 position, Rachel Rohrabacher is a senior from Tampa, Florida. She has an overall singles record of 34-11 and has the highest career dual match win percentage on the team. During her sophomore season, Rohrabacher played with four different doubles partners and won matches with each of them. Per Gamecocks Online, she was undefeated in the Kitty Harrison Invitational singles draw last year. She also held the longest win streak (13 matches) of the 2017-18 season.


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