Kuwata lone seeded player standing at Hilton Head's USTA Pro Circuit tournament
And then there was one.
Hiroko Kuwata's 6-4, 6-4 victory over fourth-seeded Brooke Austin on Friday, coupled with Yana Koroleva's 6-3, 6-0 upset of seventh-seeded Katerina Stewart, left her as the only seeded player remaining after the singles quarterfinals of the Head/First Federal Women's $10,000 USTA Pro Circuit Tournament at the Van Der Meer Tennis Center on Hilton Head Island.
Kuwata, the 787th-ranked woman in the world, is seeded eighth. In Saturday's semifinals, she'll face the tournament's local connection, Hayley Carter.
Carter, a Smith Stearns Academy senior who signed to play at North Carolina, stopped Nelly Ciolkowski of France, 6-3, 6-0 to advance.
Koroleva will play Michelle Sammons, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 winner over Alexis King.
In Saturday's doubles final, the top-seeded American duo of Kristy Frilling and Alexandra Mueller will face Carter and Josie Kuhlman.
Play starts at 9 a.m.
ITF Women's Circuit -- Head/First Federal Women's $10,000
A USTA Pro Circuit event; Friday's results at Van Der Meer Tennis Center, Hilton Head Island
Singles
Quarterfinals
[8] Hiroko Kuwata (JPN) def. [4] Brooke Austin (USA) 6-4, 6-4
Hayley Carter (USA) def. Nelly Ciolkowski (FRA) 6-3, 6-0
Michelle Sammons (RSA) def. Alexis King (USA) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
Yana Koroleva (RUS) def. [7] Katerina Stewart (USA) 6-3, 6-0
Doubles
Semifinals
[1] Kristy Frilling (USA)/Alexandra Mueller (USA) def. [3] Jessica Moore (AUS)/Belinda Woolcock (AUS) 6-1, 6-4
Hayley Carter (USA)/Josie Kuhlman (USA) def. [2] Erin Clark (USA)/Sonja Molnar (CAN) 6-3, 6-4
Saturday's Matches
Singles -- Semifinals
[8] Hiroko Kuwata (JPN) vs. Hayley Carter (USA)
Michelle Sammons (RSA) vs. Yana Koroleva (RUS)
Doubles -- Final
[1] Kristy Frilling (USA)/Alexandra Mueller (USA) vs. Hayley Carter (USA)/Josie Kuhlman (USA)
This story was originally published June 1, 2013 at 12:59 AM with the headline "Kuwata lone seeded player standing at Hilton Head's USTA Pro Circuit tournament."