Oct. 23, 2008

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. --- Qualifying singles action and first round doubles main draw play concluded Thursday at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regionals at Wake Forest's Indoor Tennis Center. Seven North Carolina singles players will appear in Friday's singles main draw, while five Tar Heel tandems are still alive in the doubles main draw. Play will continue throughout the weekend.

In Thursday's qualifying singles, sophomore Jelena Durisic and freshman Haley Hemm won their opening matches but fell in the second round. Hemm, however, was placed into the main draw as a lucky loser after a withdrawal opened up an extra slot. Senior Meg Fanjoy and freshman Jocelyn Ffriend were also in the qualifying draw, with each player falling in her first match.

Also on Thursday, three UNC pairs won their opening matches in the doubles main draw. Seniors Austin Smith and Fanjoy, seeded No. 9-16 in the event, defeated East Tennessee State's Tara Byrne and Karina Kedzo, 8-2. Senior Laura Reichert and Hemm advanced past Megan Broderick and Lauren Meier after the Kentucky duo retired with UNC leading 5-4. Senior Hanes Harris and Ffriend easily dispatched Jessica Eblen and Sarah Templeton of UNC Greensboro, 8-1.

In addition to Thursday's winners, Carolina will feature several others in main draw play. Seniors Sophie Grabinski, Smith and Reichert, juniors Sanaz Marand and Katrina Tsang and freshman Shinann Featherston will join Hemm in the singles tournament. Marand is the event's top seed, Tsang is seeded fifth and Smith is among those in the No. 9-16 grouping.

In the doubles event, Marand and Grabinski, the No. 2 seed, and Tsang and Featherson, the No. 3 seed, received byes into the round of 32.

Singles Qualifying Draw
Haley Hemm (UNC) def. Brooke Walter (ECU), 6-2, 6-1
Maria Sorbello (UT) def. Haley Hemm (UNC), 7-6, 2-6, 6-3
Katarina Reveche (WFU) def. Jocelyn Ffriend (UNC), 6-3, 6-4
Jelena Durisic (UNC) def. Marietta Bigus (MTSU), 6-2, 6-1
Lindsey Jones (UL) def. Jelena Durisic (UNC), 7-5, 6-3
Natalie Pluskota (UT) def. Meg Fanjoy (UNC), 7-5, 6-1
Hemm advances to main draw as lucky loser

Doubles Main Draw
No. 9-16 Austin Smith/Meg Fanjoy (UNC) def. Tara Byrne/Karina Kedzo (ETSU), 8-2
Laura Reichert/Haley Hemm (UNC) def. Megan Broderick/Lauren Meier (UK), 5-4, ret.
Jocelyn Ffriend/Hanes Harris (UNC) def. Jessica Eblen/Sarah Templeton (UNCG), 8-1
Maria Sorbello/Rosalia Alda (UT) def. Jelena Durisic/Linzee Mabrey (UNC), 8-2