May 28, 2011
STANFORD, Calif.- The possibility of an all-Stanford singles championship match still exists, as freshman Nicole Gibbs and sophomore Stacey Tan are through to the singles semifinals of the 2011 NCAA Tennis Championships.
Gibbs and Tan posted quarterfinal wins on Saturday afternoon to continue their impressive tournament runs. The players are on opposite sides of the bracket and, with one more victory, could square off Monday afternoon in the first all-Stanford NCAA title match since Laura Granville defeated Lauren Kalvaria 10 years ago in Stone Mountain, Ga.
Gibbs already has some experience facing a teammate, knocking off senior Hilary Barte 6-4, 6-1 during Saturday's quarterfinal round. The 18th-ranked Gibbs increased her team-leading overall record to 46-5, winning her ninth straight match and eliminating her second top-10 opponent in as many days following a three-set win over No. 7 Allie Will of Florida.
Ranked third nationally and seeded No. 3 in the postseason draw, Barte wraps up her senior season at 33-6 overall and concludes her tremendous career with a 136-29 record. A four-time All-American in both singles and doubles, Barte had won nine straight matches entering Saturday, surrendering six games or fewer in each of those contests.
Gibbs will now face another top-10 foe on Sunday at 12 p.m., meeting No. 1-ranked and top-seeded Jana Juricova of California.
Tan grinded out a 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 triumph over Baylor's Nina Secerbegovic in her quarterfinal match. After winning her second three-set match of the tourney, Tan is now 11-2 in such matches this year. Playing primarily at the Nos. 4 and 5 spots of Stanford's stacked singles lineup, the 43rd-ranked Tan is now 31-9 overall.
Tan meets Florida's Lauren Embree on Sunday at 1 p.m.
In doubles, the third-ranked tandem of Barte and Mallory Burdette continued to cruise through the draw, moving into Sunday's semifinals. Barte and Burdette edged Georgia's Kate Fuller and Chelsey Gullickson 6-3, 7-6 (4) on Saturday, improving to 28-6 overall and winning their 13th consecutive match dating back to March 26.
Barte and Burdette face a familiar opponent on Sunday at 3:30 p.m., hooking up with the nation's No. 1-ranked and top-seeded team of Juricova and Mari Andersson from California.
Singles First Round: No. 3 Hilary Barte d. No. 40 Natalie Pluskota (Tennessee) 6-1, 6-1
Singles First Round: No. 18 Nicole Gibbs d. No. 92 Anastasia Putilina (Utah) 6-1, 6-1
Singles First Round: No. 43 Stacey Tan d. No. 11 Josipa Bek (Clemson) 2-0, ret.
Singles First Round: No. 13 Zoe De Bruycker (North Carolina) d. No. 22 Mallory Burdette 1-6, 7-6 (3), 6-3
Singles Second Round: No. 3 Hilary Barte d. No. 19 Kelcy McKenna (Arizona State) 6-1, 6-3
Singles Second Round: No. 18 Nicole Gibbs d. No. 24 Danielle Lao (USC) 6-2, 6-1
Singles Second Round: No. 43 Stacey Tan d. No. 28 Sanaa Bhambri (NC State) 5-7, 6-3, 6-1
Singles Round of 16: No. 3 Hilary Barte d. No. 10 Maria Mosolova (Northwestern) 6-3, 6-2
Singles Round of 16: No. 18 Nicole Gibbs d. No. 7 Allie Will (Florida) 6-3, 6-7 (5), 7-6 (3)
Singles Round of 16: No. 43 Stacey Tan d. No. 21 Aeriel Ellis (Texas) 6-4, 7-6 (6)
Singles Quarterfinals: No. 18 Nicole Gibbs d. No. 3 Hilary Barte 6-4, 6-1
Singles Quarterfinals: No. 43 Stacey Tan d. No. 49 Nina Secerbegovic (Baylor) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
Doubles First Round: No. 3 Hilary Barte/Mallory Burdette d. No. 22 Michaela Kissell/Dominica Zaprazna (Marshall) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles Round of 16: No. 3 Hilary Barte/Mallory Burdette d. No. 25 Micaela Hein/Kelcy McKenna (Arizona State) 7-5, 6-2
Doubles Quarterfinals: No. 3 Hilary Barte/Mallory Burdette d. No. 9 Kate Fuller/Chelsey Gullickson (Georgia) 6-3, 7-6 (4)