Cecil Earns Place In Singles Title Match


Fresh off winning a team championship with the Blue Devils Tuesday, freshman Mallory Cecil has a shot at another national title–an individual one.

Fifth-seeded Cecil decimated now-familiar Miami foe and No. 2 Julia Cohen 6-1, 6-0 to reach the final. The freshman also downed No. 3 Aurelija Miseviciute in the previous round and has not dropped a set since the singles tournament began. Cecil plays Miami’s 24th-ranked Laura Vallverdu for the women’s singles title Monday at 5 p.m. (ET).

Cecil previously traced her fabulous play to end this season to her first meeting with Cohen this year, when she was beaten in straight sets by the Miami No. 1. Cecil called that match a “slap in the face” and used it to buckle down and focus.

Since then, Cecil has gone 20-1, including a 15-match winning streak. On Sunday, the Bollettieri-trained rookie used strong groundstrokes and crisp net play to pick apart Cohen for her third emphatic win over the Hurricane sophomore in just over a month. With the victory, Cecil’s record stands at 31-4 on the season.

Only one Blue Devil in school history has taken home the national title, Vanessa Webb in 1998.

Update: The Final has been moved up to 12 p.m. (ET) Monday, as afternoon rain is expected in College Station, Texas.

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