Three Tar Heels reach finals in tennis tournament

While the majority of students flocked to fall break destinations to rehabilitate from the first two months of classes, the North Carolina women’s tennis team dominated play in the USTA/ITA Carolina Regional in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels’ hard work paid off as three players saw action in the finals on Monday.

UNC’s Zoe De Bruycker challenged No. 13 Josipa Bek of Clemson for the crown in the singles championship match.

After falling to Bek in three sets at the Furman Fall Classic, De Bruycker survived rallies and competitive play by her ranked opponent to claim the ITA Carolina Regional title in two sets, each by a score of 6-4.

With the win, De Bruycker becomes coach Brian Kalbas’ first Tar Heel to earn a regional singles title.

“Zoe’s had a really good fall and she’s been playing really well no matter where she’s played,” Kalbas said. “This was a showcase of how much she’s really improved over the last year.”

The victory in the tournament guaranteed De Bruycker an automatic bid in the USTA/ITA National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships in Flushing, N.Y., on Nov. 4-7.

The fourth-seeded De Bruycker breezed through the first round, but faced tougher competition in the round of 32, winning a three-set tiebreaker against Duke’s Mary Clayton to propel her to the quarterfinals.

She reached the final match after wins against nationally ranked opponents — 55th-ranked Sandhya Nagaraj of N.C. State in the quarterfinal and No. 29 Ellah Nze of Duke in the semifinals.

On Monday, UNC’s Shinann Featherston and Lauren McHale met against familiar foes in top-seeded Bek and Keri Wong of Clemson.

Despite defeating the duo in the finals of the Furman Fall Classic last month, the top-seeded pair from Clemson bested the Tar Heels, 8-3.

“Shinann and Lauren getting to the finals in doubles was a great accomplishment,” Kalbas said.

Featherston and McHale, ranked 44th nationally, extended UNC’s streak of having a doubles finalist at the tournament to four years.

The duo’s first challenge came in the semifinals, where it garnered an 8-6 upset victory against the second-seeded twosome of Duke’s Nadine Fahoum and Nze.

Other notable tournament performances included Featherston’s run in singles play as she reached the quarterfinals before being eliminated by Duke’s Nze, 6-3, 6-3.

De Bruycker and her doubles partner, Jennifer Stone, nearly defeated Bek and Wong, but lost 9-7 in the second round of doubles play.

“We’re still trying to get better and better in doubles play,” Kalbas said. “I think it’s going to be important for us going into the spring.”

The Tar Heels resume action on Nov. 5 at the Kitty Harrison Invitational in Chapel Hill.

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.