WACO, Texas –Texas A&M’s Morgan Frank and Lauren Santacroce will face teammates Elzé Potgieter and Nazari Urbina in the doubles semifinals of the ITA Texas Regional on Tuesday after both teams picked up quarterfinal round victories today at the Baylor Tennis Center.

Both A&M doubles teams eliminated teams from rival Texas to advance to the semifinal match, which will be played at 10 a.m. on Tuesday. The winner of the match will advance to the finals to face the winner between North Texas’ Irina Paraschiv and Madura Ranganathan and SMU’s Pavi Fancis and Marta Lesniak at 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

“In one way it’s great that we have two teams playing in the semifinals, but at the same time we know only one of them will be going on to the finals,” A&M coach Bobby Kleinecke said.

The doubles champion receives an automatic berth into the prestigious ITA National Indoor Championships, Nov. 5-8 in New Haven, Conn.

Potgieter and Urbina, seeded No. 6, knocked off No. 2 seed Amanda Craddock and Krista Damico, 9-7, to advance. Frank and Santacroce, a No. 9-16 seed, defeated the Longhorns’ seventh-seeded tandem of Vanja Corovic and Sarah Lancaster, 8-3.

A&M’s doubles team of Stephanie Davidson and Sheri Olivier also reached the quarterfinals but were eliminated by Paraschiv and Ranganathan, 8-6.

“All of our doubles team have competed very well, and I’m impressed with what they have done,” Kleinecke said.

Urbina also is still alive in the singles consolation bracket and will be playing in the consolation final. After suffering a first round loss in the tournament’s main draw, the freshman from Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico, has won four consecutive matches to reach the consolation finals. Today, Urbina defeated Abby Liu of Texas, 6-2, 6-1, in the quarterfinals and Mariaryeni Gutierrez of Lamar, 6-2, 6-0, in the semifinals to advance.

Urbina will face Shahazoda Hatamova of SMU no earlier than 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday.

“Nazari is disappointed that she is in the consolation bracket, but she has made the best of it, bouncing back and putting herself in position to win the consolation,” Kleinecke said. “Tomorrow is going to be tough after four longs days of tournament play, but she is up for the challenge.”

Monday, October 19
Doubles – Quarterfinal Results –
(6) Elzé Potgieter-Nazari Urbina (A&M) def. (2) Amanda Craddock-Krista Damico (Texas), 9-7
(9-16) Morgan Frank-Lauren Santacroce, def. (7) Vanja Corovic-Sarah Lancaster (Texas), 8-3
(9-16) Irina Paraschiv-Madura Ranganathan (North Texas) def. Stephanie Davidson-Sheri Olivier (A&M), 8-6.

Singles – Consolation Results
Quarterfinal
(9-16) Nazari Urbina (A&M) def. Abby Liu (Texas), 6-2, 6-1

Semifinal
(9-16) Nazari Urbina (A&M) def. Mariaryeni Gutierrez (Lamar), 6-3, 6-1