University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
NCAA Championships
Marand Through To Round Of Sixteen
May 21, 2009 | Women's Tennis
May 21, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- North Carolina junior Sanaz Marand scored a straight-set win for the second straight day Thursday to advance to the third round of the NCAA Women's Tennis Singles Championship at Texas A&M's Mitchell Tennis Center. Marand defeated Arizona's Natasha Marks, 6-3, 7-5, and will face Furman's Laura Gioia in the round of 16.
Marand is into the third round of the event for the first time in her career and has now earned All-America honors in singles for the second straight year. After taking the first set, 6-3, the Katy, Texas, junior fell behind 4-1 in the second and the match appeared to be heading toward a third. But Marand won five of the next six games to take the second set, 7-5, and move into the round of 16 where she will meet Gioia, a 6-4, 6-1 winner over Cal's Mari Andersson.
The victory makes Marand the first Tar Heel in the round of 16 since Kate Pinchbeck advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals in 2002. She is also the first two-time singles All-America performer since Pinchbeck in 2002 and 2003.
The Tar Heel contingent was not as successful in doubles, however, with both Carolina pairs falling in the first round. Marand and teammate Sophie Grabinski, the No. 4 seed in the event, were dispatched by Florida's Marrit Boonstra and Joanna Mather, 6-2, 6-2, while Katrina Tsang and Austin Smith fell to Hilary Barte and Lindsay Burdette of Stanford, 6-2, 6-1.
Live coverage of Marand's Friday match can be found at http://www.aggieathletics.com/ncaa2009/tennis/stats.html at approximately 12:30 p.m. CT.
NCAA Singles Championship
Second Round
Sanaz Marand (UNC) def. Natasha Marks (Arizona), 6-3, 7-5
NCAA Doubles Championship
First Round
Boonstra/Mather (UF) def. No. 4 Marand/Grabinski (UNC), 6-2, 6-2
No. 5-8 Barte/Burdette (Stanford) def. Smith/Tsang (UNC), 6-2, 6-1
Players Mentioned
