Women's Tennis Hosts UVa Winter Classic

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CHARLOTTESVILLE – The Virginia women’s tennis team will open its 2012 spring schedule this weekend as it hosts the seventh annual UVa Winter Invitational Saturday-Monday at the Boyd Tinsley Courts at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. The ninth-ranked Cavaliers are joined in this year’s event by No. 23 Alabama, No. 49 Utah and No. 62 Wake Forest.

Each day will feature one round of doubles play and one round of singles play. Action begins on Saturday and Sunday at 9 a.m. and on Monday at 10:30 a.m. Admission is free.

Most of the Cavalier roster will be competing at the UVa Winter Classic, except Emily Fraser (Rye, N.Y.) and Li Xi (Kunming, China), who are competing at this weekend’s National College Tennis Classic in Palm Springs, Calif.

Virginia has a school-record six players nationally ranked in singles. Senior co-captains Fraser and Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) lead that group at No. 29 and No. 30, respectively. Juniors Erin Vierra (Norwell, Mass.), Maria Fuccillo (Rockville, Md.) and Hana Tomljanovic (Boca Raton. Fla.) are listed at No. 75, No. 76 and No. 85 in the singles rankings respectively. Sophomore Caryssa Peretz (Cherry Hill, N.J.) is ranked for the first time in her career at No. 89. Virginia is tied with California and Duke for the most players ranked in the current singles top 125.

Virginia opens the dual match season on Feb. 21 as it faces No. 18 Tennessee at the Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.