Bielik Advances At U.S. Open
8/28/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Aug. 28, 2002
FLUSHING, N.Y. - Former Wake Forest women's tennis player Bea Bielik upset the 27th-ranked player in the world, Tamarine Tanasugarn, Wednesday afternoon in the second round of the U.S. Open. The 21-year-old from Valley Stream, N.Y., dominated Tailands' Tanasugarn, winning in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2.
The match took 60 minutes flat and Bielik racked up eight aces. Averaging 106 miles-per-hour on her first serve, she reached 116 mph on her fastest serve. Bielik got 34 of her 54 first serves in and won 23 of those. She converted four of eight break points and five of 12 net approaches.
Bielik, who earned a wild card to the U.S. Open after winning the NCAA Singles Championship, is now 2-0 as a professional. Deciding last Friday to skip her senior year at Wake Forest and turn professional, Bielik will face #6 Justine Henin from Belgium in the third round on Friday. (Time will be announced Thursday evening)
On her way to the NCAA title this past May, Bielik set an NCAA Championship record for fewest games lost (21). In November she won the Omni Hotels National Indoor title (which is the second of three national events during the season). A three-time All-American, Bielik finished the 2001-2002 season ranked No. 1 in the Omni Hotels national singles rankings with a 35-2 singles record - giving her 100 career singles victories. The winner of the Honda Award, given annually to the top collegiate women's tennis player, Bielik was also the recipient of the Mary Garber Award, given annually to the ACC Female Athlete of the Year. She was named the ACC Women's Tennis Player of the Year and received the Marge Crisp Award, given annually to the Wake Forest Female Athlete of the Year.
For more information, complete results and live scoring from the U.S. Open, visit usopen.org.