MALIBU, Calif. – William & Mary women's tennis senior Rosie Cheng opened play at the Oracle ITA Masters on Thursday.  The event features the best in the country and selects the top players from each NCAA Division I conference using criteria similar to the NCAA Tournament selection process.
 
In singles action, Cheng drew a tough test in the opening round with one of the event's four top-10 players in No. 7-ranked Sara Daavettila of North Carolina. In the opening set, Cheng broke Daavettila's serve twice to cut the deficit to 4-2, but the Tar Heel All-American won the set's final two games to take a 6-2 win.

In the second set, Daavettilla won a deuce game on Cheng's serve to take a 3-2 lead. Cheng fought off a pair of match points to close within 5-4, but the top-10 player held serve to advance to Friday's second round.
 
Teaming with UNCW's Daniel Groom, the Colonial Athletic Association pair fell in the opening round of the mixed doubles draw at the event. Cheng and Groom fell to the Ivy League team of Penn's Julia Bryzgalova and Columbia's Jack Lin, 6-0.
 
Cheng will meet Oakland's Ava Thielman in the consolation draw on Friday at the Ralphs-Straus Tennis Center on the campus of Pepperdine University.
 
W&M Results from the Oracle ITA Masters
Mix Doubles First Round (16)
Lin (Columbia)/Bryzgalova (Penn) def. Cheng(W&M)/Groom (UNCW) – 6-0
 
Singles First Round (32)
#7 Sara Daavettila (North Carolina) def. Rosie Cheng (W&M) – 6-2, 6-4