July 10, 2012

STANFORD, Calif.- Some of Mallory Burdette's most memorable career matches have come in the form of hard-fought three-setters.

That was the case again on Tuesday night.

Shaking off a sluggish start, Burdette rallied for a 2-6, 7-5, 6-4 victory over Anne Keothavong in the opening round of the main draw on Tuesday night at the Bank of the West Classic.

It was the first career WTA victory for Burdette, who survived a two-hour, three-minute battle against the world's No. 75-ranked player in Keothavong.

The match also represented another chapter in a history of notable three-setters for Burdette. As a freshman in 2010, Burdette clinched Stanford's NCAA championship over Florida. One year later, the outcome was reversed, with the Gators winning the NCAA title as Burdette was last on court. Six weeks ago, Burdette fell short in the NCAA singles final to teammate Nicole Gibbs. All of those matches were decided in three sets.

Early in Tuesday's match, it appeared as if the three-time All-American was in for a long night. Keothavong needed only 26 minutes to take control of the match with a 6-2 win in the first set.

However, Burdette would settle down in the second set. Following ties of 4-4 and 5-5, Burdette won back-to-back games to steal the second set at 7-5.

The third set featured more of the same back-and-forth play, with Burdette grabbing a 4-2 lead. After Keothavong knotted the match at 4-4, Burdette closed out the match by winning two straight games. In the final game, Burdette trailed 40-0 before ripping off five straight points to secure the match.

Burdette's prize: a second-round matchup against No. 2 seed and 2009 Bank of the West Classic champion Marion Bartoli, the world's 10th-ranked player.

Burdette won't be the only one stepping up her level of opponent. After her 6-4, 6-4 win on Tuesday afternoon, Gibbs is set to square off against 14-time major champion Serena Williams in a too-good-to-be-true matchup on Wednesday afternoon.

Bottom line: Tuesday represented another historic day for the Stanford women's tennis program. Thanks to the performances of Burdette and Gibbs, there might just be more to come.

Keep in mind that Burdette and Gibbs have also earned a spot in the doubles draw, scheduled to face the No. 3 seeded-duo of Natalie Grandin and Vladimira Uhlirova in the first round on Wednesday.

Burdette is also a two-time NCAA doubles champion, teaming with Gibbs to win this year's title one season after bringing home the crown with Hilary Barte. The 2012 NCAA singles runner-up, Burdette has compiled a 104-22 overall singles record in three seasons.

- by Brian Risso.