(Dunwoody, GA) will not get an opportunity to advance to the main draw of this year’s

tournament. Battling illness, Lee-Waters, the no. 5 seed in the qualifying draw, was upset in her

second round qualifying match today by unseeded Shikha Uberoi (India), 6-1, 6-1. Uberoi

moves on to face fellow unseeded player Christina McHale (Englewood Cliffs, NJ) on Tuesday

for a berth in the main draw. McHale today defeated Julia Boserup (Los Angeles, CA) 6-1, 6-1.

On the local front, qualifying wild card entrant Lauren Nikolaus-Zink (Lancaster County, PA),

scored a hard-fought upset over no. 6 seed Ana-Clara Duarte (Brazil) 7-6 (6), 6-3. Nikolaus-

Zink’s run in the 2008 Mecco Cup qualifying draw is made all the more extraordinary

considering that the 32 year-old former William and Mary college standout rarely plays

traditional tennis at this stage of her career. These days, Nikolaus-Zink generally focuses on

platform tennis, where she is a multiple-time champion of the American Platform Tennis

Association. Earlier this year, she competed in the $10k Landisville, PA USTA Pro Circuit

event, the only other pro tennis she’s entered since playing in the 2006 Mecco Cup qualifying

draw. With a win in the next round, Nikolaus-Zink would advance to the main draw of a $50,000

professional tournament for the first time in her career.

To earn one of the final four qualifying berths, Nikolaus-Zink will have to get past unseeded

Sofia Melikishvili (Georgia), who upset Philadelphia native Julia Cohen (Miami, FL), the topseeded

player in the qualifying draw, 3-6, 5-7, 6-3. A fourth seeded player was taken out today

when no. 7 seed Jennifer Elie lost to American Stacey Tan (Lakewood, CA) , 7-6 (6), 6-3.

Tuesday’s play will be highlighted by the completion of the qualifying tournament and the start of

main draw matches. Nikolaus-Zink and Melikishvili begin play at 10 AM on Court 11.

In the featured match of the day, 2006 Mecco Cup singles finalist and doubles champion Carly

Gullickson (Brentwood, TN) returns to the courts of the Westend Racquet Club, facing USC

collegiate player Amanda Fink (Calabasas, CA) in the second match on Court 7.

with Tournament Director Fernando Perez to face pros Jamea Jackson and Asia Muhammed in