Two "Laurens" Reach Semi-Finals at Atlanta Pro Circuit Event

JOHN'S CREEK, GA - If your name was "Lauren", and you were playing a quarter-final match at The Falls at Autrey Mill on Friday, the good news is, you won!

Just north of Atlanta, top-seeded Lauren Davis of Ohio and Lauren Embree, a player at the University of Florida both posted impressive wins at the Norman Wilkerson Memorial Pro Circuit event under an overcast sky.

Davis outfought a determined Chinese player who trains in Florida, Di Zhao and Embree made quick work of a former NCAA champ in Amanda McDowell with a 6-2, 6-2 victory.

The two "Laurens" will play the second feature match following an interesting semi between 15-year old Taylor Townsend and a veteran of the USTA Pro Circuit, second-seeded Alexis King.

Townsend has taken the more difficult path to the semi's as she outlasted Russian Angelina Gabueva 7-6 in the third set. King finished just as some light rain started to fall, defeating another promising young American in Hayley Carter. King is a former player at the University of Florida and she is looking forward to her Saturday semi. "It will be fun," she said following her win.

Davis started 2011 by playing in the Australian Open, but she is rebounding from missing time this spring with a concussion. Davis says she is gaining confidence and she's building off a win two weeks ago at a similar sized Pro Circuit event in Buffalo. "That was a tough tournament (in Buffalo), I'm fighting with all I have," Davis said following her win. On the practice courts, Davis has been putting in extra time working on her serve, an aspect of her game that Sam Stosur took advantage of during their first round match in Australia.

The doubles final will have an SEC vs. ACC feel to it. The team of Natalie Pluskota, a Tennessee Volunteer, and Alexandra Cercone, another University of Florida player will take on two former ACC stars. That would be former Wake Forest player Alexandra Hirsch and McDowell who played at Georgia Tech.

Players will get a break on Saturday with temps only in the 80's and a layer of cloud cover.