Gold Nuggets topple LSUA to advance to national semifinals

MOBILE, Ala. — Charlene Goreau and Farah Baklouti won in doubles and singles Thursday to lead Xavier University of Louisiana to a 5-0 women’s tennis victory against LSU-Alexandria in the quarterfinals of the NAIA National Championships.

The Gold Nuggets (19-7), ranked and seeded third, advanced to the semifinals for the fourth time in six years and the first time since 2015. They’ll play No. 2 Georgia Gwinnett, the two-time defending national champion.

Goreau and Angela Charles-Alfred defeated Ariadna Cabezas and Maria Montenegro 8-0 in doubles, and Goreau clinched with a 6-1, 6-0 victory against Miljana Milojevic. The singles victory was Goreau’s 15th in a row.

Baklouti and Manon Bonada defeated Milojevic and Patricia Perez 8-1, and Baklouti beat Cabezas 6-1, 6-1 for her 11th victory in her last 12 singles decisions.

Mariia Borodii and Yi Chen Pao scored XULA’s other point with an 8-1 victory against Alba Perny and Laia Charles. It was the second straight day that Borodii and Pao defeated a top-10 doubles team, and it was their 12th victory in their last 13 matches.

XULA extended its school-record win streak to 16.

LSUA, ranked 12th and seeded 11th, lost to XULA for the third time in as many duals this season. The Generals were eliminated in the quarterfinals for the second straight year.

The men’s quarterfinal matches, including XULA against William Carey, were rained out Thursday evening and will be played Friday.