North Carolina
Freeman Memorial
De Bruycker Through To Quarters In Las Vegas
January 14, 2012 | Women's Tennis
Jan. 13, 2012
LAS VEGAS, Nev. --- Zoe De Bruycker scored a pair of three-set victories Friday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Freeman Memorial Tennis Championships at UNLV's Fertitta Tennis Complex. De Bruycker will face the nation's top-ranked player in Stanford's Mallory Burdette in Saturday's quarters.
De Bruycker, the No. 8 seeded player in the event, opened play with a 4-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over USC's Valeria Pulido. The Saratoga, Calif., junior then rallied from a set down again in the round of 16, coming from behind to beat Florida's Olivia Janowicz, 3-6, 6-2, 6-1.
Saturday's meeting with Burdette will be a rematch of last season's NCAA Singles Championship first round. De Bruycker defeated Burdette on her home court that day, 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3, en route to the round of 16.
Friday also marked a return to the court for a pair of Tar Heels who missed the fall season. Senior Shinann Featherston, who suffered a torn ACL in last season's NCAA quarterfinals, fell to UCLA's McCall Jones in her first match back, 6-3, 6-2. Junior Gina Suarez-Malaguti, who underwent offseason shoulder surgery, lost to USC's Kaitlyn Christian, 6-3, 6-1.
In doubles action, Featherston and junior Lauren McHale were defeated by Janowicz and Alex Cercone of Florida, 8-5.
Action continues Saturday with the quarterfinals and semifinals of the singles tournament as well as consolation action in both singles and doubles.
ROUND ONE SINGLES
(8) #44 Zoe De Bruycker (UNC) def. Valeria Pulido (USC), 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
#62 McCall Jones (UCLA) def. Shinann Featherston (UNC), 6-3, 6-2
(3) #16 Lauren McHale (UNC) BYE
#99 Kaitlyn Christian (USC) def. Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC), 6-3, 6-1
ROUND OF 16 SINGLES
(8) #44 Zoe De Bruycker (UNC) def. Olivia Janowicz (UF), 3-6, 6-2, 6-1
#121 Lucia Batta (UNLV) def. (3) #16 Lauren McHale (UNC), 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
ROUND ONE DOUBLES
Alexandra Cercone/Olivia Janowicz (UF) def. Shinann Featherston/Lauren McHale (UNC), 8-5
Players Mentioned
