Zhang Wins First ACC Player of the Week Award

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – Sophomore Wendy Zhang of the University of Miami women’s tennis team was selected as the ACC Player of the Week, as announced Tuesday evening.

This marks the fifth time in the past six weeks a Miami player has won the award, with the one omission being a week the Hurricanes did not have any matches. The ACC weekly honor is the first of Zhang’s career.

“Wendy has been playing with great poise these last few weeks,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We are excited she has been recognized by our conference.”

Zhang’s stellar performance at then-No. 29 Clemson helped seventh-ranked Miami (13-4, 8-2 ACC) earn its second-straight 7-0 victory.

A native of Richmond, B.C, Canada, Zhang earned her first-career top-25 victory against the Tigers, posting a 7-6 (7-5), 6-3 win versus then-No. 20 Joana Eidukonyte, who opened the spring ranked No. 1 in the nation. Eidukonyte was ranked 35 spots higher than any player Zhang had previously defeated in her collegiate career.

Zhang also won her doubles match at the top position, teaming with senior Stephanie Wagner for a 6-3 triumph against Ayan Broomfield and Fernanda Navarro.

The victory over Eidukonyte helped Zhang shoot from No. 109 in the Oracle/ITA singles rankings to a season-high No. 61, the second-best mark of her career. The doubles victory kept her and Wagner at ninth in the nation.

Zhang is 13-5 in singles, including 7-3 in ACC play and 4-2 against ranked opponents in 2016. She and Wagner are a team-best 13-6 in doubles, with an 11-5 mark at the No. 1 spot and a 9-5 ledger against ranked pairs.

The Hurricanes will be back in action this weekend, facing No. 20 Friday at 4 p.m. in Winston-Salem, N.C., and then No. 37 NC State Saturday at 11 a.m. in Raleigh, N.C.

To learn more about the University of Miami women’s tennis team, follow @CanesWTennis.