Nze advances to semifinals at National Indoor Championships

Posted Friday, November 2, 2007

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Columbus, Ohio – Duke freshman Ellah Nze upset two top-10 singles players on Friday at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) National Indoor Championships to advance to semifinal action.

Nze defeated sixth-ranked and No. 5 seed Zuzana Zemenova of Baylor, 3-6, 6-4, 7-5, in the round of 16 then recorded a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over third-ranked and No. 2 seed Susie Babos of California, who has won three of the last four Grand Slam tournaments. Nze will face 21st-ranked and No. 3 seed Ani Mijacika of Clemson on Saturday for a chance to compete in Sunday’s title match, as she becomes the first freshman (along with Baylor's Taylor Ormond, who beat No.7 seed Amanda McDowell from Georgia Tech in the quarters on Friday) to reach the semifinals since Babos did it in 2005.

Freshman Reka Zsilinszka began consolation play on Friday versus Katarina Zoricic of William & Mary and came away with a 6-2, 6-4 win. Zsilinszka moves on to the quarterfinals, where she will go up against 54th-ranked Lenka Broosovic of Baylor.

The Blue Devil duo of sophomore Amanda Granson and junior Melissa Mang was also in consolation action, as the pair notched an 8-4 decision over Amanda Fink and Amanda Fink and Gabriela Niculescu of USC. Granson and Mang will meet the top-ranked and top-seeded tandem of Megan Moulton-Levy and Katarina Zoricic of William & Mary on Saturday in the semifinals.

The National Indoor Championships is the second of three national tournaments for singles and doubles during the 2007-08 collegiate tennis season. The Ohio State University is hosting this week's championships at the Racquet Club of Columbus.

For full draws, live stats and more information on the ITA National Indoor Championships visit www.itatennis.com.