Lopareva advances to No. 1 semis
PHOTO CREDIT: LEE ADAMS/LETSGOICC.COM
Margarita Lopareva advanced to the No. 1 singles semifinals by winning in straight sets Thursday at the MACJC/Region 23 Tournament in Tupelo.
The sophomore from Moscow, Russia, defeated East Central's Gabriela Gomez 6-2, 6-1 in the quarterfinals and will play Jones' Mireia Jordan at 9 a.m. Friday, weather permitting.
"She's playing great," Gulf Coast coach Gary Bourgeois said. "She wasn't feeling great, but she says she's going to win the championship. She's got so much tenacity."
She teamed with Megan Bankston (So., Gulfport/Gulfport) to win a No. 1 doubles quarterfinal match over East Central's Josie Hurst and Alison Walker, 7-6, 6-4. But the fourth-seeded Lady Bulldogs duo lost to Jones' Mireia and Ariadna Jordan 7-6 (3), 6-1 in the semifinals.
Tournament officials squeezed an extra round of doubles in Thursday night trying to beat rain which is expected sometime Friday.
Bankston lost her No. 2 singles quarterfinal to Ariadna Jordan in straight sets, and Destiny Davis (Fr., George County/George County) lost in No. 3 singles.
Thursday's results
Quarterfinals
No. 1 singles: (2) Margarita Lopareva (GC) def. Gabriela Gomez (EC), 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 singles: (1) Ariadna Jordan (JC) def. Megan Bankston (GC), 6-0, 6-0
No. 3 singles: (2) Katy Clark (CL) def. Destiny Davis (GC), 6-1, 6-4
No. 1 doubles: (4) Margarita Lopareva-Megan Bankston (GC) def. Josie Hurst-Alison Walker (EC), 7-6, 6-4
No. 2 doubles: (2) Kara Clark-Katy Clark (CL) def. Destiny Davis-Chloe Fell (GC), 6-0, 6-1
Semifinals
No. 1 doubles: (1) Mireia Jordan-Ariadna Jordan (JC) def. (4) Margarita Lopareva-Megan Bankston (GC), 7-6 (3), 6-1
Friday's schedule
Semifinals
No. 1 singles: (2) Margarita Lopareva (GC) vs. Mireia Jordan (JC), 9 a.m.
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