Hardenbergh Advances at NCAA Singles Championship

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ATHENS, Ga. – The Virginia women’s tennis team had two players in action Wednesday as the NCAA Singles Championship began at the Dan Magill Tennis Center. Seniors Lindsey Hardenbergh (Fairfax Station, Va.) and Emily Fraser (Rye, N.Y.) had first round matches in the 64-player tournament.

Hardenbergh, ranked No. 43 nationally, defeated No. 30 Anett Schutting of California 6-1, 6-4, in her first round match. Fraser, ranked No. 22 nationally, lost to No. 3 Nicole Gibbs of Stanford 6-0, 6-2.

Hardenbergh opened her match strong, winning the first five games en route to taking the first set 6-1. She went up 2-0 in the second set, but Schutting broke back to get back on serve. Leading 5-4 in the second set, Hardenbergh broke Schutting’s serve to close out the match. It was the third career NCAA singles win for Hardenbergh, who last year reached the round of 16 to become Virginia’s first All-American. She will meet No. 2 seed Beatrice Capra of Duke, the ACC Player of the Year, in Thursday’s second round.

Fraser suffered a straight-set loss in her final singles match as a Cavalier. Gibbs won the first seven games of the match before the players traded four straight breaks. Gibbs followed by winning the final three games of the match to close out the win.

Hardenbergh and Fraser will open play in the 32-team NCAA Doubles Championship on Thursday. The 18th-ranked Cavalier duo meets 42nd-ranked Olivia Smith and Millie Nichols of TCU in the first round.