May 27, 2006

STANFORD, CALIF. - University of North Carolina women's tennis players Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long continued their week of Tar Heel firsts Saturday as they advanced to the semifinals of the 2006 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championships in the doubles competition. The NCAA Championships are being held at the Taube Tennis Center at Stanford University.

Anundsen and Long defeated South Florida's Gabriela Duch and Neyessa Etienne in the quarterfinals Saturday afternoon 6-2, 6-4. Anundsen and Long are seeded in the Nos. 5-8 spots in the doubles play in the tournament while Duch and Etienne are ranked No. 9 nationally by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association.

Friday, Anundsen and Long became the first women's doubles team in UNC history to reach the NCAA quarterfinals and with their win Saturday they become the first team to ever advance to the semifinals.

Carolina's semifinal opponents will be from Fresno State, the No. 7-ranked doubles team of Lucia Sainz and Katharina Winterhalter. Sainz and Winterhalter upset No. 2 seeded Melissa Applebaum and Audra Cohen of Miami by a 7-6 (6), 6-4 score in the quarterfinals.

Anundsen and Long (seeded 5-8) are currently ranked No. 6 by the ITA. Sainz and Winterhalter (also seeded 5-8) are currently ranked No. 7.

"This is an amazing feat for Sara and Jenna to get to the semifinals. They played their best match of the tournament today," said North Carolina head coach Brian Kalbas. "The team they played is ranked No. 9 in the country. They are a very athletic team. The moved well and were very aggressive. We did some strategic things to neutralize their athleticism and they worked very well for us today. It was a complete effort. They played smart and they played together.

"To accomplish a feat like this for UNC women's tennis is a great testament to Sara's and Jenna's hard work. They have played together as a doubles team for three years now. Each year they've gotten better and better. Their best tennis is still ahead of them I believe."