Miseviciute earns 40th win heads to Sweet 16

COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Thursday’s Round of 32 at the NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles Championship proved more of a challenge for the University of Arkansas’ Aurelija Miseviciute than Wednesday’s first round. Battling hard, Miseviciute,earned the win over California’s Marina Cossou (27-11), 7-5, 7-5, for her 40th victory of the season, securing a spot in the Sweet Sixteen for the second consecutive year.

“Today was a very good day for Aurelija,” head Arkansas coach Michael Hegarty said. “Cossou is a difficult opponent who gives up nothing easily and Aurelija stepped up when it counted and came out with the win.”

In the first set, No. 3-seed Miseviciute (40-4) took an early 3-0 lead before dropping two service games and allowing Cossou to draw even at 4-4. With the score tied, Miseviciute broke the Golden Bear for the third time in the set, pulling ahead, 5-4.

Cossou grabbed her third break of the set on the Razorback’s next service game but Miseviciute dug deep, earning her fourth and final break of the set before holding her own serve to clinch the first set lead.

Once in the second set, Miseviciute settled into her game, only allowing Cossou to reach her for one break of serve, while forcing two breaks from Cossou.

As she did in the opening set, Miseviciute broke late, taking a 6-5 edge, and held serve in the following game, winning the set and the match to advance to Friday’s Sweet Sixteen.

On Friday, Miseviciute will play Clemson’s Josipa Bek (34-9) at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center on the campus of Texas A&M. For complete coverage of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Singles Championship, log on to http://www.aggieathletics.com/ncaa2009/tennis/index.html.

For complete coverage of Arkansas women’s tennis coverage, visit www.ArkansasRazorbacks.com.