Cecil Drops No. 3 Seed Miseviciute To Advance To Semifinal Round

Saturday, May 23

College Station, Texas

10 a.m.

Duke University

Quarterfinals

Five Blue Devils Selected To NCAA Tournament Field

Cecil Drops No. 3 Seed Miseviciute To Advance To Semifinal Round

5/23/2009 4:30:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

COLLEGE STATION, Texas?Duke University freshman Mallory Cecil continued her stellar season today with a victory over Arkansas' Aurelija Miseviciute in the NCAA Individual Tournament quarterfinal. The fifth-seeded Cecil advances to the semifinal round to be played on May 24.

Cecil defeated No. 3 seed Miseviciute in straight sets, 6-3, 6-3 to earn a spot in the semifinal round of the NCAA Individual Tournament. The Spartanburg, S.C., native is the first Blue Devil to advance to the round of four since Vanessa Webb took home the national title in 1998.

“It feels great, especially since I have been playing everyday,” Cecil said. “It feels good. It shows me that I am in pretty good shape, that I can hang out there. It's my first NCAAs, and I am in the semis. I am really happy. It is a huge honor. I am really glad to be here representing Duke and representing my team. Big honor.”

Winning her fourth match in tournament action, Cecil pushes her overall record to 30-4 this season. Leading 4-3, Cecil captured the eighth game to go up 5-3. She closed the set out in the next game and continued to roll in the second set to win 6-3, 6-3. The win over the No. 3 Miseviciute is the second for Cecil in the past week over the Arkansas foe as she earned a victory over the Razorback in the team competition. Cecil has not dropped a set during the four matches.

Cecil will take on the No. 2 seed Julia Cohen of Miami in the semifinals on May 24 at 2:30 p.m. The match-up will be the fourth time this season the two have met. Cecil defeated Cohen in each of the past two contests, including in the team quarterfinals. Cohen won the regular season battle in Miami in March.

For complete details on the tournament, click here.

NCAA Individual Tournament
May 20-25, 2009 at College Station, Texas (Mitchell Tennis Center)

Singles competition
1	#5 Mallory Cecil (Duke University) def. Sarah Fansler (Southern California) 6-4, 6-1
1	Ellah Nze (Duke University) def. #14 Kelcy McKenna (Arizona State) 6-3, 7-6 (7-2)
1	Reka Zsilinszka (Duke University) def. Caitlin Whoriskey (Tennessee) 6-3, 6-2
2	#5 Mallory Cecil (Duke University) def. Amanda McDowell (Georgia Tech) 6-4, 6-4
2	Ellah Nze (Duke University) def. Amanda Fink (Southern California) 6-2, 6-3
2	Reka Zsilinszka (Duke University) def. Amanda McDowell (Georgia Tech) 6-3, 6-1
16	#5 Mallory Cecil (Duke University) def. Bianca Eichkorn (Miami) 6-2, 7-5
16	#2 Julia Cohen (Miami) def. Ellah Nze (Duke University) 6-4, 6-4
16	#1 Maria Mosolova (Northwestern University) def. Reka Zsilinszka (Duke University) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
QF	#5 Mallory Cecil (Duke University) def. #3 Aurelija Miseviciute (Arkansas) 6-3, 6-3