Sept. 23, 1999

Notre Dame junior All-American women?s tennis player Michelle Dasso and senior All-American men?s tennis player Ryan Sachire both won on Thursday to advance at the T. Rowe Price National Clay Court Intercollegiate Championships, the first leg of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association collegiate grand slam, held at the Suburban Club of Baltimore County. Play continues on Friday with 16 players alive in each draw.

Dasso, seeded second in the 32-play field, beat Georgia?s Christa Grey 7-5, 6-2 in the first round. She?ll take on William & Mary?s 60th-ranked Delphine Troch in the round of 16 on Friday, as she looks to reach the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year.

The top-seeded Sachire, who lost in the second round last year, beat Kentucky?s 82nd-ranked Edo Bawano 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 in the first round of the 64-player field and eliminated Texas? Michael Blue 6-4, 6-4 in the second round. Sachire, one of six seeds still alive in the round of 16, will face Fresno State?s 32nd-ranked Oliver Le Jeune in the third round on Friday.