CARY, N.C. – Norfolk State had three singles players reach the semifinals on Friday, the opening day of the MEAC Tennis Invitational at Cary Tennis Park. Julia Daroszewska and Yuliya Yurkova advanced on the women's side, and Szymon Malecki moved on in the men's draw.
Daroszewska had the most dramatic day for the Spartans, winning two tight matches. In the round of 16, she dropped the first set to Howard's Franchesca Brown, then won back-to-back tiebreakers for a 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4) comeback. In the quarterfinals she knocked off No. 3 seed Tyler Williams of Morgan State, winning a first-set tiebreaker and then running away with the second, 7-6 (7-5), 6-1.
Yurkova, the No. 4 seed, swept both of her matches. She beat Coppin State's Brandy Alexis Babcock-Hannah 6-1, 7-6 (7-5) in the opening round, then got past North Carolina Central's Sara Barbaric 6-4, 6-4 in the quarterfinals.
On the men's side, Malecki, the No. 3 seed, had a first-round bye. He opened his tournament with a 6-4, 6-0 quarterfinal win over Angel Maffezzoli.
No. 4 seed Marcin Andrzejczak also had a bye into the quarterfinals. There he forced a third set against Morgan State's Ilya Maltsev before falling 6-1, 4-6, 6-2.
In doubles, Marcin Dojczynski and Kasper Kulpa won their opening match over Coppin State's Dentry Mortimer and Flavius Henderson, 6-1, 6-2. Andrzejczak and Malecki, the No. 3 seed, and Daroszewska and Yurkova, the women's No. 2 seed, both had byes into Saturday's quarterfinals.
UP NEXT
Play continues Saturday at Cary Tennis Park. Daroszewska faces top seed Pimmada Thongkum of South Carolina State, and Yurkova meets No. 2 seed Michaela Stephens of Morgan State, with both women's singles semifinals at 9 a.m. Malecki also plays at 9 a.m., taking on Howard's Michael Major, who upset top seed Iliyas Maratuly 6-2, 6-2 in the quarterfinals.
In women's doubles, Daroszewska and Yurkova face Delaware State's Celia Torrelles Aguila and Maite Bou Safont at 12:30 p.m. In men's doubles at 1 p.m., Andrzejczak and Malecki play NCCU's Sergio Lopez Guillen and Mark Nawa, and Dojczynski and Kulpa take on No. 2 seed Julius Augunas and Alan Aiukhanov of SC State. The doubles semifinals follow that afternoon.
NORFOLK STATE RESULTS – DAY ONE
Men's Singles
R16: Malecki (NSU) [3] – BYE
R16: Andrzejczak (NSU) [4] – BYE
QF: Malecki (NSU) [3] def. Maffezzoli, 6-4, 6-0
QF: Maltsev (MSU) def. Andrzejczak (NSU) [4], 6-1, 4-6, 6-2
Men's Doubles
R16: Andrzejczak/Malecki (NSU) [3] – BYE
R16: Dojczynski/Kulpa (NSU) def. Mortimer/Henderson (CSU), 6-1, 6-2
Women's Singles
R16: Daroszewska (NSU) def. Brown (HU), 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-4)
R16: Yurkova (NSU) [4] def. Babcock-Hannah (CSU), 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)
QF: Daroszewska (NSU) def. Williams (MSU) [3], 7-6 (7-5), 6-1
QF: Yurkova (NSU) [4] def. Barbaric (NCCU), 6-4, 6-4
Women's Doubles
R16: Daroszewska/Yurkova (NSU) [2] – BYE
