WACO – Nicole Khirin outlasted Stanford's Connie Ma in a three-set roller coaster ride to win Thursday's NCAA Division I Singles Championship third round match at Baylor's Hurd Tennis Center.
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With the 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory, Khirin became just the fourth player in program history to reach the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Singles Championship.
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Both players entered the tournament ranked in the top 10, with Ma, the No. 6 seed, checking in at No. 4 and Khirin slotted at No. 9. The pair battled for 3-hours, 5-minutes.
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The first set featured seven break points won, with Khirin owning the decisive 4-3 edge in the category.
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The Aggie led the second set 5-4 but dropped eight of the next 10 points to fall behind. Khirin fought to 40-all and won the deuce point, knotting the set at 6-6. In the tiebreaker, she held advantages of 4-2 and 6-4, but Ma won the last four points to force a third set.
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In a fatigued third set, Khirin broke Ma's serve five times, including the clinching game.
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No. 1 seed Mary Stoiana had her tournament run come to an end Thursday with a 6-3, 6-0 loss to No. 74 Elaine Chervinsky of Virginia.
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The first two Aggies to reach the quarterfinals were Kim Labuschagne in 1987 and Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar in 2012. The Maroon & White doubled the number in the last two seasons with Stoiana advancing to the semifinals in spring 2024.
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Khirin faces the tournament's No. 2 seed, Dasha Vidmanova of Georgia Friday at 10 a.m.
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Thursday's Round of 16 Results
No. 74 Elaine Chervinsky (UVA) def. No. 1 Mary Stoiana (A&M) – 6-3, 6-0
No. 9 Nicole Khirin (A&M) def. No. 4 Connie Ma (Stan) – 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-3
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Friday's Quarterfinal Match
No. 9 Nicole Khirin (A&M) vs. No. 2 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) – 10 a.m.
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STATS & STREAMING
Fans can follow the matches through the live stats or watch the matches through the live stream.
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on X by following @AggieWTEN.
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With the 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-3 victory, Khirin became just the fourth player in program history to reach the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Singles Championship.
Â
Both players entered the tournament ranked in the top 10, with Ma, the No. 6 seed, checking in at No. 4 and Khirin slotted at No. 9. The pair battled for 3-hours, 5-minutes.
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The first set featured seven break points won, with Khirin owning the decisive 4-3 edge in the category.
Â
The Aggie led the second set 5-4 but dropped eight of the next 10 points to fall behind. Khirin fought to 40-all and won the deuce point, knotting the set at 6-6. In the tiebreaker, she held advantages of 4-2 and 6-4, but Ma won the last four points to force a third set.
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In a fatigued third set, Khirin broke Ma's serve five times, including the clinching game.
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No. 1 seed Mary Stoiana had her tournament run come to an end Thursday with a 6-3, 6-0 loss to No. 74 Elaine Chervinsky of Virginia.
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The first two Aggies to reach the quarterfinals were Kim Labuschagne in 1987 and Cristina Sanchez-Quintanar in 2012. The Maroon & White doubled the number in the last two seasons with Stoiana advancing to the semifinals in spring 2024.
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Khirin faces the tournament's No. 2 seed, Dasha Vidmanova of Georgia Friday at 10 a.m.
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Thursday's Round of 16 Results
No. 74 Elaine Chervinsky (UVA) def. No. 1 Mary Stoiana (A&M) – 6-3, 6-0
No. 9 Nicole Khirin (A&M) def. No. 4 Connie Ma (Stan) – 7-5, 6-7 (6), 6-3
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Friday's Quarterfinal Match
No. 9 Nicole Khirin (A&M) vs. No. 2 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) – 10 a.m.
Â
STATS & STREAMING
Fans can follow the matches through the live stats or watch the matches through the live stream.
FOLLOW THE AGGIES
Visit 12thman.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Fans can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Facebook, Instagram, and on X by following @AggieWTEN.