May 25, 2012

ATHENS, Ga. - Baylor's doubles tandem of Nina Secerbegovic and Ema Burgic made the most of their Round of 16 match, advancing with a straight-set win at the NCAA Individual Championships on Friday in Athens, Ga.

The Baylor pair proved their win over the No. 1 seeded team in the tournament yesterday was no fluke, easily dispatching of the nation's 14th-ranked team from Alabama, Alex Guarachi and Courtney McLane. Secerbegovic, meanwhile, wasn't as fortunate in her Round of 16 singles match against 26th-ranked Sabrina Santamaria of USC.

"I know Nina is disappointed with the way she played in singles today," head coach Joey Scrivano said. "She just couldn't find a rhythm and her opponent made the most of this. However, I'm pleased with the way she bounced back with a great attitude in the doubles. The ladies played with a lot of energy and discipline today. It's great to see them play as a unit with a positive spirit."

Secerbegovic and Burgic finished each set strong in their doubles match against the Crimson Tide. In the first set, the Baylor duo turned a 4-3 advantage into a 6-3 win, then turned a 3-3 tied in the second set into another 6-3 win to clinch the match. With the win, Secerbegovic and Burgic each earn their first-career doubles All-America honor from the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) for making the NCAA quarterfinals.

"Their growth as a doubles team this year has been terrific" Scrivano said. "I know how much they wanted to be All-Americans so we are excited from them."

The pair will now face UCLA's ninth-ranked duo of Courtney Dolehide and Pamela Montez in the NCAA Quarterfinals on Saturday at 1 p.m. CT at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, Ga.

In singles, Secerbegovic wasn't able to hang on against USC's Santamaria in a 6-4, 6-4 loss, ending her season with a 28-6 record. Her win total is the second-highest on the team, while her winning percentage of .824 ranks as the team's best.