Miyazaki Continues Run at ITA Regionals

MINNEAPOLIS – Oklahoma women's tennis' Lily Miyazaki continued her run at the ITA Central Regional Championship, picking up a straight-set win on Sunday to advance to the tournament's semifinal round.

The 72nd-ranked junior defeated Arkansas' Ana Oparenovic in Sunday afternoon's quarterfinal match. After claiming a first-set tiebreaker, Miyazaki rolled past Oparenovic in the second frame to claim the match, 7-6 (5), 6-0, and punch her ticket to Monday morning's semifinal.

Miyazaki will face Oklahoma State's Aliona Bolsova at 11 a.m. CT in her sixth match of the tournament.Bolsova is ranked No. 3 in the ITA's freshman rankings, but has yet to face a ranked opponent in the regional tournament's main draw.

In doubles, Miyazaki and partner freshman Julie Byrne won their quarterfinal match Sunday morning, 8-6, over Kansas' Janet Koch and Anastasia Rychagova. In the semifinals, the pair's run ended as they fell, 7-6 (2), 6-0, to Oklahoma State's Carla Tur Mari and Vladica Babic.

Through Sunday, the Sooners have recorded 15 singles wins, more than twice the wins at last fall's ITA Central Regional tournament. Oklahoma also picked up seven doubles victories, with two tandems advancing to the round of 16.

Miyazaki will begin Monday with her semifinal match. Should she advance, the singles championship match will be played at 2 p.m. CT.