May 23, 2009
COLLEGE STATION, Texas --- North Carolina junior Sanaz Marand saw her run at the NCAA Women's Tennis Championship end Saturday with a 7-5, 5-7, 6-1 loss to Miami's Julia Cohen at Texas A&M's Mitchell Tennis Center. Marand completes her 2008-09 campaign with a singles record of 29-14, including a 20-8 mark in dual match play, and All-America honors in both singles and doubles.
Saturday's national quarterfinal match with No. 2 overall seed Cohen was tight throughout the first two sets, with both players winning a set, 7-5. After Cohen broke Marand at 5-all in the first, the Miami junior served out the set for the lead. Marand then raced out to a 4-1 lead in the second set and held on to even match at a set apiece.
But Cohen scored an early break in the third and deciding set and quickly led 4-0. With Marand serving at 15-30 in the fifth game of the set, play was suspended due to inclement weather and the two players were forced to endure a delay of more than an hour.
After the break, Cohen completed the break to go up 5-0 before Marand broke back to get on the board and make it 5-1. The No. 2 seed would not be denied, however, and finished off the match with a final break to win, 7-5, 5-7, 6-1.
Cohen will be one of three ACC players in the national semifinals, joining teammate Laura Vallverdu and Duke's Mallory Cecil.
