Teenager CiCi Bellis, who won her first-round match in Stanford, is planning to commit to play college tennis at Stanford University.
Bellis, 17, received a wild card into the event, and defeated Jelena Ostapenko in straight sets. Bellis got the win despite a bruised, swollen eye that was the result of being hit in doubles action the day prior. She said she did not know whether she would even get to play the singles match.
"[The other player] was on top of the net and she went right at my face,” Bellis told reporters in Stanford. “It hit me right in my eye. When she hit me I couldn't see for ... like 10 seconds.
"So to be able to play today, it was unbelievable. So lucky."
Bellis first gained attention by beating Dominika Cibulkova as a 15-year-old in the first round of the U.S. Open, and has moved towards the Top 200 largely on the International Tennis Federation circuit ever since.
She made it clear that she wants to play her college tennis at Stanford.
“This is the only college I've been looking at for a while now, and I love it so much here,” the San Francisco native said. “I love the girls on the team and the coaches are amazing."
However, the world No. 203 said she could still decide to play on tour if her ranking continues to climb.
"It depends on how high I get," she admitted.
Bellis reached No. 1 in the world as a junior player.