May 25, 2018
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – For the third day in a row, Fernanda Contreras and Astra Sharma of the Vanderbilt women’s tennis team went undefeated at the NCAA individual tournament.
Garnering All-American singles honors already, the duo picked up doubles All-American status after advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals Friday afternoon. In the round of 16, the 11th-ranked Commodore duo downed Kansas’ No. 20 Nina Khmelnitckaia and Anastasia Rychagova 6-1, 6-2.
The 11th-ranked Vandy duo will take on Duke’s 5-8thseeded Ellyse Hamlin and Kaitlyn McCarthy tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. CT.
Individually, Contreras and Sharma are the third and fourth Commodores to ever advance to the NCAA singles quarterfinal. Vanderbilt has never had two student-athletes compete in the Elite Eight at the same time. Audra Falk competed in the 2004 quarterfinal, while Sydney Campbell did the same just last season and advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
10th-ranked Sharma was first off the court in her Sweet 16 matchup against Stanford’s No. 43 Emily Arbuthnott. The Commodore made quick work in the first set against the Cardinal, taking a 6-2 first set lead. Neck-and-neck throughout the second set, Sharma pulled through the final two games to ensure her spot in the NCAA tournament’s round of eight, 6-2, 6-4.
Sharma will face Pepperdine’s No. 22 Mayar Sherif Ahmed tomorrow at 11 a.m. CT.
No. 11 Contreras is Elite Eight bound with a comeback victory over Loyola Marymount’s No. 48 Veronica Miroshnichenko. After falling in the first set 2-6, Contreras limited her opponent to four games over the next two games, 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, to pick up the Sweet 16 victory.
Tomorrow at 11 a.m., Contreras continues her tournament journey against a familiar foe in Florida’s 18th-rankedAnna Danilina.
To track the Commodores in tomorrow’s matches, follow @NCAATennis and @VandyWTennis on TÂÂwitter.ÂÂÂ