Anik Cepeda had been following play at the Texas Summer Grand Slam all weekend.

She doesn't like being a follower.

So when it was her time, Cepeda quickly took the lead in her first match and captured a 6-2, 6-1 win over Sugar Land's Rachel Pierce on Monday at Miramont Country Club.

"It's kind of weird because all of my friends have been playing people and I see them in the paper," Cepeda said. "It's kind of surreal that this hadn't started for me yet. I felt a little out of the groove for these first couple of days, thinking 'When am I going to play?'"

Cepeda exchanged baseline shots with the statuesque Pierce, who displayed great power. The difference in the match was Cepeda's near-flawless serving and her ability to finish off games, often with flair.

"I have not served that well in my entire life, so that was amazing," said Cepeda. "I felt I could hit whatever serve I wanted on a dime, so that was great."

The senior-to-be at A&M Consolidated was pushed to deuce only once, and that was the only game where Pierce was able to break her serve. That cut the lead to 3-2 in the first set, but Cepeda surrendered only one point on Pierce's next service game.

Cepeda took a 5-2 lead by winning on her serve at love, but the final point was the best of the match. Pierce's quick-response volley appeared headed toward the baseline for a winner, but Cepeda reached high to get it. The great save was also a winning volley.

"She was really quick to get to that ball, but I think what I'm doing better is anticipating when they are going to get it back," Cepeda said. "That's what kept me in the point."

Cepeda now draws fifth-seeded Brett Ellen Keeler of Austin, who dispatched Cameron's Brittni Fausett, a 3A state qualifier, 6-3, 6-0. The Keeler-Cepeda match is at 12:45 p.m. Tuesday at Miramont.

At the same site, Fausett will face Pierce. Heather Brien, who lost 6-3, 6-0 to Houston's Carlene Leyden, will meet ninth-seeded Jamila Paul from Bulverde. Both matches are set for 1:30 p.m.

All four 18 girls doubles teams with local connections lost, including Cepeda and Dallas' Christine Molina, who fell to Sheri Olivier and Lauren Santacrose of Spring, 8-3.

Cepeda was the only College Station player who remained in the singles winners' bracket after Monday's play. Kevin Wright, the only other winner, took a first-round 6-2, 6-2 win over Matthew Venner of Houston early Monday, but dropped his afternoon match 6-3, 6-1 to Amarillo's Ernie Hayhurst.

Wright has an early-morning match Tuesday, beginning consolation play at 8 a.m. against Igor Ozegovic of Fort Worth.

Ninth-seeded Austin Klores did advance in 18 boys singles. After earning a first-round bye, the four-time state singles champion from Franklin downed Sugar Land's Alexander Lam 6-3, 6-3 and will meet Jonash Loh of North Richland Hills at 11:30 a.m. Tuesday at Texas A&M's Mitchell Tennis Center.

Klores and doubles teammate Max Stevens of Dallas are seeded fifth, and they won their first match 8-3 over the Dallas duo of Rob Oberman and Warren Race.

Loh avenged a Sunday loss to David Hillner in doubles by winning their singles showdown, 6-4, 6-1. Hillner, the A&M Consolidated product who will play college tennis at Division III Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Mich., will meet Lam in consolation play.

In doubles play, Hillner and Kevin Duffy were ousted 8-0 by the No. 2 singles team, Will Oliver of San Antonio and Alex Van Velzer from Montgomery.

Duffy's 6-3, 6-3 loss to Devin Maharaj of Allen sends him into a consolation showdown Tuesday at the Mitchell Tennis Center against A&M Consolidated teammate Nathan Cooner. Fifth seed Thomas Wilson, from San Antonio, defeated Cooner 6-4, 6-2. Duffy and Cooner play at 2:15 p.m.

College Station's Rushi Dave, who lost his opener, beat Frisco's Joey Good in consolation play, dominating the 10-point tiebreaker used as the third set in consolation rounds. Dave rallied for a 4-6, 6-2, 10-0 win. Dave will play Dallas' Jake Williams at 8 a.m. in an effort to earn a second Tuesday match in consolation play.

Nellie Hillner was bumped out of the 16 singles consolation bracket with a 6-1, 6-2 loss to 17th seed Felicity Delgado. A 17th seed in 14 girls, Katye Salas of Trophy Club closed out Franklin's Kayla Casey with a 7-5, 6-3 win.

An injury kept Frankie Colunga from taking the court at A&M Consolidated for his 14 singles consolation match with Plano's Michael Andrus. Andrus won by forfeit when Colunga was forced to withdraw from the tournament.

• David Campbell's e-mail address is david.campbell@theeagle.com.