Paulson earns bronze at Alba Sports Games IV

CARACAS, Venezuela - Many of the Razorback women’s tennis players have been busy this summer competing in various tournaments in preparation for the 2011-12 season and soon-to-be junior Claudine Paulson highlighted that play last week when she won the bronze medal in doubles while representing her home country of Ecuador at the Alba Sports Games IV in Venezuela.

With her playing partner, Nicole Martinez, Paulson competed against players from many different countries in South America and Latin America, including Cuba and Bolivia. She also played in singles and advanced to the quarterfinals before losing 6-4, 6-3 to a player from Venezuela.

“It was a great experience representing Ecuador throughout the week,” Paulson said. “After almost winning a medal in singles, it was thrilling to achieve a medal in the double competition.”

Paulson and Martinez, who played under coach Fabrizio Soliz, nearly advanced to the gold medal match before dropping straight sets to Misleidys Dias Gonzalez and Yamile Fors Guerra of Cuba, 6-2, 6-3, but they bounced back in a big way against Maria Belen Rivera Perez and Ericka Roxana Rivero Arana of Bolivia, winning 6-1, 6-3 and taking the bronze medal.

This was the last tournament Paulson would play in for the summer and will be back to play for the Razorbacks this fall and into the spring. For all information regarding the Razorback women’s tennis team as the calendar inches closer to the start of the fall season, log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.