Justine Leong Takes Singles Title at ITA West Regionals for CMS Women's Tennis

CLAREMONT, Calif. - First-year Justine Leong had a big impact in her first ITA event of her collegiate career, picking up a singles championship on Monday after also taking the doubles title yesterday at the ITA West Regionals from the Biszantz Family Tennis Center.

Leong combined with senior Catherine Allen to win the doubles title on Sunday, defeating teammates Crystal Juan and Anna Kern in the championship match 6-4, 6-4, after also getting past two other teammates (Anastasia Bryan-Ajania and Devon Wolfe) in the semifinals. 

The singles championship saw Leong and Allen go against each other after sharing the doubles title on Monday, in a final that was postponed a day to allow Allen to compete at the International Tennis Federation's Claremont 25K event. Leong took the first set 6-0, before Allen withdrew before the second set due to injury, giving Leong both titles in her first college tournament. 

There's a chance that the two teammates could meet again and have a full rematch at the ITA Cup from Oct. 17-20 in Rome, Georgia as they will both be part of the 16-player field this year. In the past, only the regional champions advanced to nationals, but this year the top two finishers from each event in the West earned invitations. Leong and Allen will compete in both singles and doubles, while Juan and Kern will also attend as the second doubles entrant for the Athenas. 

If Allen and Leong win the doubles title, it will mark the second year in a row that Allen captures an ITA Cup doubles championship. She won the event a year ago with junior Caroline Cox, who is currently studying abroad this fall and will rejoin the team in the spring.