URBANA, Ill. - Texas freshman Breaunna Addison notched a 6-2, 6-4 win over Arizona State's 21st-ranked Jacqueline Cako to reach the singles quarterfinals Friday at the NCAA Championships.

 

Addison (Boca Raton, Fla.) is the first UT freshman ever to reach the NCAA singles quarterfinals and is the first Longhorn to do so since Sandy Sureephong in 1999. Addison will meet North Carolina's seventh-seeded Gina Suarez-Malaguti in Saturday's quarterfinals (time TBA). Texas is the only school with a player remaining in both the men's and women's singles draws at the NCAA Championships.

 

Addison held serve to open the match and broke Cako for a 2-0 first-set lead. Addison held serve and broke Cako once more for a 4-0 lead before Cako answered with a service break. Cako held serve to trim Addison's lead to 4-2, but Addison held serve and broke Cako again to take the first set, 6-2.

 

"Bree started off playing great shots from the first point," UT head coach Patty Fendick-McCain said. "There was no working her way into the match. She went out swinging. She was ready and focused."

 

Cako opened set two with a service break of Addison, but Addison broke Cako and held serve in a lengthy service game for 2-1. Addison broke for a 3-1 second-set lead, but Cako broke Addison, held serve and broke Addison once more for a 4-3 lead.

 

"I think I was passive up to that point in the second set," Addison said. "My legs were a little dead, but I knew she was playing in the same conditions I was. I knew if I worked hard the next 30 minutes that I wouldn't have to come out for a third set."

 

Addison broke Cako to even the second set at four games and held serve for a 5-4 lead. Cako saved one match point her in what proved to be her final service game, but on the next match point, Addison smacked a crosscourt backhand that prompted a Cako backhand into the net, as Addison closed out the set and the match, 6-4.

 

"At 4-3 down (in the second set), Bree stepped up and went to a few more big shots to win points quicker and not grind as much," Fendick-McCain said. "At 4-all, Bree hit three winners and an ace. In the last game, Bree hit a couple of really good shots to win the match."

 

On Thursday, Addison became UT's first freshman to earn ITA singles All-America honors since 1990 with her win over Miami's Stephanie Wagner in the second round. The win made her the first Texas freshman to become an All-American since 1995, when Cristina Moros did so in doubles.

 

In Wednesday's opening round, Addison became the first UT freshman to win a match in the NCAA Championships' women's singles draw since the aforementioned Sureephong in 1996. And now, Addison becomes just the fifth Longhorn to reach the NCAA singles quarterfinals.

 

"It's a blessing," Addison said. "I have to take it one match at a time and stay within each match. I need to keep doing what I've done this week and push it like I'm in a dual match and it will pay off. I need to stick with the basics and be aggressive with my feet and put pressure on my opponent."

 

Breaunna Addison - 2013 Honor Roll

• First UT freshman to reach the NCAA singles quarterfinals

• First Longhorn to reach the NCAA singles quarterfinals since Sandy Sureephong in 1999

• The fifth NCAA singles quarterfinalist in school history (five players have collectively reached the quarterfinals eight times)

• Collected the first win by a UT freshman in the NCAA singles draw since 1996 (Sandy Sureephong)

• 29-6 overall singles record (through May 24)

• NCAA Championships singles and doubles qualifier

• No. 31 ITA (Intercollegiate Tennis Association) singles ranking

• No. 19 ITA doubles ranking (with Noel Scott)

• ITA Texas Region Rookie of the Year (includes all Div. I women's tennis programs in the state of Texas)

• Big 12 Conference Freshman of the Year

• All-Big 12 singles and doubles

 

Texas' NCAA singles quarterfinalists

Breaunna Addison (2013)

Sandy Sureephong (1999)

Kelly Pace (1993, 1995)

Anne Grousbeck (1988)

Beverly Bowes (1985-87)

 

NCAA Championships

Khan Outdoor Tennis Center - Urbana, Ill.

Women's Singles Round of 16

No. 31 Breaunna Addison (Texas) def. No. 21 Jacqueline Cako (Arizona St.) - 6-2, 6-4

 

POST-MATCH COMMENTS

Texas head coach Patty Fendick-McCain

On Breaunna Addison's win

"Bree started off playing great shots from the first point. There was no working her way into the match. She went out swinging. She was ready and focused. I think (ASU's Jacqueline) Cako had some nerves. Bree just jumped on her and went up 4-0. At 4-1 (in the first set), it was just a matter of toughing Cako out. Bree toughed out every point. At 3-1 (in the second set), Cako started matching her shot-for-shot, and all of the points were really won by the players. At 3-1, Cako hit a hot streak and was hitting winners here and there. At 4-3 down, Bree stepped up went to a few more shots to win points quicker and not grind as much. At 4-all, Bree hit three winners and an ace. In the last game, Bree hit a couple of really good shots to win the match.

 

On what it takes to reach the NCAA singles quarterfinals

"It's more about understanding how the tournament works at this point. This is a unique event. There are no other tournaments on the planet - pro or amateur - quite like this one. You have the exhaustion of the team portion, and then you often see some top players fall out from round-to-round. Here in the third round, it's about who is willing to fight the hardest to get to the quarters. From this point on, it's about who is mentally fit. Tomorrow, Bree has to get ready to play her game and be mentally focused."

 

Texas freshman Breaunna Addison

On the win

"I think I handled the situation better and took advantage of it. I played tougher than I did yesterday and really worked to play a lot of balls to get the match in my favor. She (Cako) settled down in the second set and made more shots, so I really had to raise my level. I think I was must mentally tougher. I think she expected me to give her some points, but I was aggressive with my feet, and that was a major difference. I worked a little harder to get in better positions on the court. was able to capitalize and put pressure on her."

 

On coming back from 4-3 down in the second set

"I think I was passive. My legs were a little dead, but I knew she was playing in the same conditions I was. I knew if I worked hard the next 30 minutes that I wouldn't have to come out for a third set."

 

On being the first Longhorn to reach the NCAA singles quarters in 14 years

"It's a blessing. I have to take it one match at a time and stay within each match. I need to keep doing what I've done this week and push it like I'm in a dual match and it will pay off. I need to stick with the basics and be aggressive with my feet and put pressure on my opponent."