Several women's tennis players got an early jump on the spring season last weekend, competing in the qualifying rounds of the Florida Council on Economic Education $10K Grand Slam in Tampa Bay, Fla.
Representing Duke were freshman Tory Zawaki and Kristin Cargill, as well as junior Saras Arasu.
Zawaki, who is ranked No. 769 on the WTA Tour, was seeded 11th in the qualifying event. The Union, N.J. native had the most success of the trio, winning her first two matches before falling 6-3, 6-2 to Japan's Kokoro Takehara in the final round of qualifying on Monday.
"I hadn't played any matches since the end of the fall season because I pulled a stomach muscle, so I was nervous and excited coming in," Zawaki said. "I didn't play my best tennis, but it was a good warm up. It made me realize what I need to work on."
Over the weekend, Zawaki defeated American Angela Piedrahita 6-4, 6-2 and Austrian Anna Bartenstein 7-5, 3-6, 6-0 in what will likely be her last professional event until after the college season.
"During the spring we won't have must time [for pro tournaments]," Zawaki said. "I want to focus on college tennis now and not the WTA."
Zawaki's second-round victim, Bartenstein, knocked out Cargill in the opening round in a tough 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 battle.
The only other Duke player in the event, Arasu, played a pair of Americans over the weekend. She picked up a 6-2, 6-2 win over 15th seed Beau Jones in her first match, but she lost a tight 7-5, 6-4 contest in round two against Alexandra Liles.
Zawaki, Cargill and Arasu will help the women's team kick off its spring season next weekend when it faces Baylor and Vanderbilt in Nashville, Tenn.
"I'm so excited for my first college match," Zawaki said. "It's going to be a whole new experience for me. We want to do really well this year."
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