CHAPEL HILL, N.C.  – Women's Tennis senior Mila Saric and junior Raffaela Alhach advanced to the quarterfinals of the Heel Doubles Draw on Friday at the Kitty Harrison Invitational.
 
The Tribe tandem upended the Northwestern pair of Maria Shusharina and Clarissa Hand, 6-3, in the first round of the 16-team Heel Doubles Flight. Saric and Alhach improved to 3-1 on the year with the win. Hand and Shusharina are ranked No. 90 and No. 101, respectively, in the national singles ratings, while Hand is part of the No. 30-ranked doubles team in the country with Briana Crowley.
 
Saric and Alhach meet the Kansas team of Sonia Smagina and Tiffany Lagarde in the quarterfinals on Saturday with the semifinals to follow. The championship match is slated for Sunday.
 
In singles action, Saric split a pair of three-set matches in the Carolina Singles Flight. The Tribe senior jumped out to a set advantage over Kansas's Sonia Smagina, but the Jayhawk rallied to pull out the second set and super tiebreaker, 7-5, 10-8. Smagina has been an All-Big XII performer during her career in both singles and doubles.
 
The No. 97-ranked Tribe player took the first set from Iowa State's Christin Hsieh, 6-3, in the consolation side. Hsieh forced a third-set super breaker with a 7-5 win in the second, but Saric outlasted her in the third, 12-10. Saric, who is 3-1 on the season, faces Princeton's Michelle Sorokko in the consolation semifinals on Saturday.
 
In the Kenfield Singles Draw, Alhach suffered a pair of setbacks on the opening day of competition. Despite dropping her opening match in straight sets, the Tribe junior hung tough with No. 64-ranked Marlee Zein of Florida, 6-3, 7-6 (4). Alhach dropped her consolation draw match to ODU's Sofia Johnson, 6-4, 6-2.
 
The Kitty Harrison Invitational kicks off on Saturday at 9 a.m. with two rounds of doubles action followed by one round of singles.
 
W&M Results from the Kitty Harrison Invitational.
Carolina Singles Draw
Sonia Smagina (Kansas) def. #97 Mila Saric (W&M) – 2-6, 7-5, 10-8
#97 Mila Saric (W&M) def. Christin Hsieh (Iowa State) – 6-3, 5-7, 12-10
 
Kenfield Singles Draw
#64 Marlee Zein (Florida) def. Raffaela Alhach (W&M) – 6-3, 7-6 (4)
Sofia Johnson (ODU) def. Raffaela Alhach (W&M) – 6-4, 6-2
 
Heel Doubles Draw
Alhach/Saric (W&M) def. Shusharina/Hand (Northwestern) – 6-3