May 27, 2012

2012 NCAA Tournament Central

Women's Singles Bracket | Women's Doubles Bracket

2011-12 Records | ITA Rankings (Team, Singles, Doubles)

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ATHENS, Ga. - 13th-ranked California women's tennis freshman Zsofi Susanyi completed an impressive first year on campus with a team-best 41-8 singles record as she concluded her run in the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships on Saturday, May 27, at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The Golden Bear was the first freshman in program history to advance as far as the national singles semifinal.

In her semifinal match, Susanyi faced Stanford's fifth-ranked and fifth-seeded senior Mallory Burdette for the third time in four weeks. Burdette won the first two meetings, and was unrelenting in the third as she came away with a 6-2, 6-2 win to advance to the national title match. Burdette will face either her teammate Nicole Gibbs (ranked and seeded third) or Florida's top-ranked and top-seeded Allie Will in the final.

Burdette controlled the tempo of the first stanza from the outset as she climbed out to a 3-0 lead over Susanyi, but the Bear kept fighting and put Burdette on the run in the ensuing games. Though Burdette earned another break and went up, 5-0, Susanyi had deciphered some of the Cardinal strategy and came up with a pair of games of her own. Down, 5-1, and with a 30-15 lead in the seventh game, Susanyi chased down a volley to score a winner with a cross-court shot that led her to putting her second game on the scoreboard.

Susanyi went down, love-30, against Burdette's serve in the eighth game, but fought back to force deuce. However, the Stanford senior forced Susanyi to play her game once again and earned the advantage on a forehand volley that left Susanyi stranded.

The second set took on a different form as Susanyi served her way to a 1-0 lead, right away. Burdette retaliated to take a 40-love lead on her serve but Susanyi earned the next two points before Burdette put the game away with a deep shot to the corner of the Cal court. Burdette turned the tables on Susanyi in the third as she earned the first break of the set to go up, 2-1.

Burdette went in front, 3-1, as she held serve in the fourth game of the second set, but the Cardinal put a stranglehold on the match as she broke Susanyi's serve again to in front, 4-1. Susanyi put a stop to the Stanford streak when she broke back to earn her second game. The seventh game followed suit as Burdette broke Susanyi's serve to grab a 5-1 lead when Susanyi put return into the net. On her last legs, Susanyi couldn't mount another comeback as Burdette served her way to a 40-love lead before closing out the match for a 6-2, 6-2 win.

For complete draws, player seedings, schedules, and results from the 2012 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships, please visit 2012 NCAA Tournament Central.

2012 NCAA DI Women's Tennis Championships
Dan Magill Tennis Complex | Athens, Ga.
Wednesday-Monday, May 23-28

Singles Round of 64 | May 23
[6] No. 8 Jana Juricova (CAL) def. No. 20 Kate Turvy (NWU); 6-3, 6-1
[9-16] No. 13 Zsofi Susanyi (CAL) def. No. 47 Mary Weatherholt (NEB); 6-4, 7-5
No. 43 Lindsey Hardenbergh (UVA) def. No. 30 Anett Schutting (CAL); 6-1, 6-4
No. 31 Joelle Kissell (NCST) def. No. 48 Tayler Davis (CAL); 7-5, 6-1

Singles Round of 32 | May 24
[6] No. 8 Jana Juricova (CAL) def. No. 56 Sona Novakova (BAY); 6-4, 6-1
[9-16] No. 13 Zsofi Susanyi (CAL) def. No. 24 Mary Anne Macfarlane (ALA); 6-0, 7-5

Singles Round of 16 | May 25
[6] No. 8 Jana Juricova (CAL) def. No. 40 Aeriel Ellis (TEX); 7-6(4), 6-2
[9-16] No. 13 Zsofi Susanyi (CAL) def. [4] No. 4 Robin Anderson (UCLA); 7-5, 6-4

Singles Quarterfinals | May 26
[3] No. 3 Nicole Gibbs (STAN) def. [6] No. 8 Jana Juricova (CAL); 6-2, 7-5
[9-16] No. 13 Zsofi Susanyi (CAL) def. No. 26 Sabrina Santamaria (USC); 6-2, 7-6(4)

Singles Semifinals | May 27
[5] No. 5 Mallory Burdette (STAN) def. [9-16] No. 13 Zsofi Susanyi (CAL); 6-2, 6-2

Doubles Round of 32 | May 24
[5-8] No. 5 Goransson/Schutting (CAL) def. No. 21 Clayton/Goldfield (DUKE); 6-3, 4-6, 7-6(7)
No. 15 Juricova/Susanyi (CAL) def. [5-8] No. 7 Boxx/Guthrie (MISS); 7-6(3), 6-4

Doubles Round of 16 | May 25
No. 15 Juricova/Susanyi (CAL) def. No. 30 Mira/Wu (VAN); 6-0, 7-5
No. 22 Embree/Mather (FLA) def. [5-8] No. 5 Goransson/Schutting (CAL); 3-6, 6-3, 6-3

Doubles Quarterfinals | May 26
No. 27 Gilchrist/Gullickson (UGA) def. No. 15 Juricova/Susanyi (CAL); 6-1, 6-3