The doubles team of Amanda Johnson and Tory Zawacki won its first qualifying match Tuesday at the ITA All-American tournament in Pacific Palisades, Calif. Johnson and Zawacki, ranked 18th-nationally, defeated the 23rd-ranked Harvard team 8-4.
"Amanda and Tory played their best match that any team has played so far this year," head coach Jamie Ashworth said.
Also in qualifying action, the tandem of Saras Arasu and Kristin Cargill fell to a duo from Texas A&M 8-6.
"Kristin and Saras were in there the whole match," Ashworth said. "They just lost serve once at 6-6."
No. 43 Arasu won her first singles qualifying match, but fell in round two to the lower-ranked Jennifer Magley of Florida 6-2, 7-5. In the first round the junior dispensed of 75th-ranked Amy Walgenback of Purdue 6-4, 6-3.
"She played pretty well in her second match," Ashworth said. "She got outhit in the first set, but played a pretty good second set and hit the ball pretty well. It was a tough matchup for her because Magley hits the ball so hard. The one thing Saras could do was make her hit a lot of balls."
As a result of the Arasu loss, Johnson is the only Blue Devil remaining in the singles draw. The ninth-ranked senior received an invitation to play in the main draw and will begin play Thursday.
"Amanda has had pretty good results here on faster courts in the past, and I don't see that changing any time soon," Ashworth said.
The duo of Johnson and Zawacki will be back in action today as it takes on Oklahoma's 25th-ranked Heather Saluri and Anda Perianu in hopes of advancing to the tournament's main draw.
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