May 26, 2011

STANFORD, Calif. - Junior Nina Secerbegovic earned a singles win to advance to the Round of 16 on Thursday at the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships in Stanford, Calif.

Secerbegovic, who earns All-America honors by advancing to the Round of 16 with the win, was able to get off to a hot start against the West Coast Conference Player of the Year Alexandra Poorta of Saint Mary's.

The Baylor junior won the first three games of the first set on her way to a 6-1 win that featured four breaks of the No. 46 Poorta's serve. In the second set, Secerbegovic went up 4-2 with a break, and served out the match for a 6-4 win the set.

The win ties Secerbegovic for the team lead with a 30-5 record on the season, and earns her All-America honors for the second consecutive season.

Secerbegovic will take on Virginia's Lindsay Hardenbergh in the next round. Hardenbergh defeated Florida's No. 54 Alex Cercone 6-2, 7-6(6), in the first round and Penn's No. 29 Connie HSU, 6-4, 6-4 today.

In doubles, the 27th-ranked duo of Secerbegovic and Novakova teamed together for the first time since April 3. The two put themselves in an early hole to the No. 21-ranked Wake Forest pair of Kayla Duncan and Kathryn Talbert with a first-set loss, 6-4. After that, the Baylor team wasn't able to fight all the way back, winning the second set 7-6(6), but taking the loss in the third set 6-1.