CARY, NC - They last time Salome Devidze faced off against Mary Brascia in singles, things didn’t go her way.

That was at the Mesa Arizona Cup back in February, where Brascia won their semifinal clash 11-3, 11-5.

Their quarterfinal match Friday at Cary Tennis Park was much closer.

The two split the first two games, with each winning one 11-6.

It looked like the former Georgian tennis pro would cruise to victory when she raced out to a 5-0 lead in Game 3, but Brascia went on a massive run of her own to eventually take a 10-9 lead.

Holding her nerve, Devidze saved two match points and found herself on serve at 9-10.

On the following two points, Devidze hit two of the cleanest backhand winners you’ll see on a pickleball court, crushing one up the line and finding a sharp crosscourt angle on the other.

The No. 5 seed got the confidence to rip those shots from the hours she has spent drilling them on the practice court.

“I’ve hit those shots 10 million times in practice,” she said. “That’s the best way to create trust in your shots.

That trust—and those two backhands specifically—set Devidze up with a match point, and she closed it out at the first time of asking.

She’ll take on No. 2 seed Catherine Parenteau in the semis.