Northwestern University Athletics
Grier, Rush Blaze into Quarterfinal Round
5/26/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
May 26, 2004
ATHENS, Ga. -- On a hot, 90-degree day, third-ranked Cristelle Grier (Epsom, England/Putney) and No. 44 Jessica Rush (Dallas, Texas/The Hockaday School) were on fire.
Eighth-seeded Grier beat Arizona's No. 11 Dianne Hollands, one of No. 9-16 seeds, 6-2, 6-4 to advance to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Championships. Later in the day, the sophomore joined Rush to dispose of Clemson's 13th-ranked Julie Coin and Maria Brito 6-3, 3-6, 6-2 to also advance to the quarterfinals.
"I am very proud of both of them for making it this far, especially considering the delays and the heat we have had," said head coach Claire Pollard. "Their smart, steady play has helped them get wins against some great opponents."
In singles, Grier was down 4-3 in the second set before storming back to take the match. Her triumph improved her to 40-4 on the year, further increasing her NU-season-record-breaking number of wins. She will face Coin, a No. 9-16 seed who is ranked No. 6 nationally on Thursday.
Later in the day, as temperatures continued to climb, third-ranked Grier and Rush (41-5) were ready to extend their winning streak to 12. As the fifth seed, the two 'Cats were the highest remaining seed heading into today's action, as Nos. 1-4 (and No. 6) fell yesterday.
The Wildcat duo took the first set against Coin and Brito but got broken early in the second to cause a third set. There, Grier and Rush dropped the first game but took six of the next seven to set up a meeting with Marshall's 32nd-ranked Jessica Johnson and Ashley Kroh.
The unseeded Thundering Herd pair upset the No. 2 seeded team en route to their quarterfinal appearance.
"(Johnson and Kroh) will come into the match with a lot of confidence," said Pollard. "But we will not get overly anxious-we will treat this match like any other. If Cristelle and Jessica can stick to their game plan, they will be all right."
Times for Thursday's contests have not yet been determined.
