Oct. 19, 2012

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Ole Miss women’s tennis team posted a successful first day at the USTA/ITA Southern Regionals here Friday at the Alabama Tennis Stadium with two players advancing to the third round in main draw singles and two teams reaching the second round of doubles.

Caroline Rohde-Moe and Julia Jones both reached the third round of main draw singles, while Vief Vlaar made the semifinals of the B Draw.

Rohde-Moe, the No. 2 seed, downed Caroline Magnusson of Tulane 6-1, 6-2 and then topped Medy Blankvoort of ULM 6-3, 6-3.  She will face Klaudia Gawlik of McNeese State in the third round Saturday.

Jones won two three-setters to advance.  In the first round, she defeated Rachel Daniel of UAB 6-4, 4-6, 6-3 and then rallied to beat Auburn’s Michala Kucharova 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the second round.  Jones will face Ipok Birol of Tulane Saturday in the third round.

In the B Draw, Vlaar downed Jacqui Katz of Tulane 6-0, 6-0 in her first match since last May, and then defeated Lauren Levant of Auburn 6-2, 6-4.  

Ole Miss had two doubles teams reach the second round, including Jones and Iris Verboven, who teamed up for an impressive 8-4 win over the 5-8 seeded team of Emily Flickinger and Pleun Burgmans (Auburn).

Rohde-Moe and freshman Marija Milutinovic defeated Blankvoort and Silivia Tumova of ULM 8-5.

Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/OleMissWTennis.

USTA/ITA Southern Regional Championships
Main Draw Singles
First round – Caroline Rohde-Moe (OM) def. Caroline Magnusson (TUL) 6-1, 6-2; Julia Jones (OM) def. Rachel Daniel (UAB) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3; Marija Milutinovic (OM) def. Emily Newton (USA) 6-4, 7-5; Petra Ferancova (MSU) def. Iris Verboven (OM) 6-4, 6-1. Second round – Rohde-Moe (OM) def. Medy Blankvoort (ULM) 6-3, 6-3; Jones (OM) def. Michala Kucharova (AUB) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4; Jackie Kasler (AUB) def. Milutinovic (OM) 7-5, 6-1.
Consolation
Emily Flickinger (AUB) def. Verboven (OM) 6-4, 6-2.
B Draw Singles
First round – Vief Vlaar (OM) def. Jacqui Katz (TUL) 6-0, 6-0; Elaine Simon (UAB) def. Allie Robbins (OM) 6-3, 6-3; Sarah Gail Niebur (SAM) def. Paige Keating (OM) 6-2, 3-6, 6-1.  Second round – Vlaar (OM) def. Lauren Levant (AUB) 6-2, 6-4.
Doubles
First round -- Jones/Verboven (OM) def. Flickinger/Burgmans (AUB) 8-4; Rohde-Moe/Milutinovic (OM) def. Blankvoort/Tumova (ULM) 8-5; Zabor/Jansen (AL) def. Robbins/Keating (OM) 8-0.