Upcoming Event: Women's Tennis versus ITA Conference Masters Championships on November 6, 2025
Women's Tennis
vs ITA Conference Masters Championships
Five Individuals, Three Doubles Teams Grab Regional Rankings
12/5/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
DURHAM, N.C. -- Junior Daniela Bercek, a native of Serbia & Montenegro and a transfer from UCLA, led a group of five Blue Devil women's tennis players as the No. 1 ranked individual in the Southeast region, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association has announced. Senior Jackie Carleton joined Bercek in the top five as the third-ranked player, and three other Duke members followed in the top 25. In addition, Bercek and freshman Jessi Robinson grabbed the No. 1 spot in the doubles rankings, and two other Duke tandems appeared among the top 10.
In her first semester as a Blue Devil, Bercek won seven straight singles matches before falling in the championship match of the Riviera/ITA All-American Tournament in October, finishing the fall with a 7-1 singles record. As a finalist in the All-American Tournament, Bercek, a two-time All-America at UCLA, qualified for the National Intercollegiate Indoor Championships, but an ill-timed nagging injury kept her out of the competition.
Carleton, however, did represent Duke at the national indoor tournament, advancing to the Round of 16, where she fell in three sets to the three-seed for a career-best fall finish. The Jenkintown, Pa., native compiled a 7-4 record in the fall, including five straight wins at the Wilson/ITA Southeast Regional Championships to land her in the final match and advance her to the national indoor championships.
Freshman Tara Iyer earned a top 10 ranking after posting a 5-4 singles record in the fall. The Hyderabad, India, native, who currently resides in Maryland, advanced to the Round of 16 at the Southeast Regional Championships, falling to the third seed. Three of her four losses came against ranked opponents.
Sophomore Clelia Deltour of Savigny sur Orge, France, was listed at No. 17 in the regional rankings after an 8-3 singles performance in the fall. Deltour started off the season on a roll, winning two matches at the Maryland Invitational in September before suffering her first loss to teammate Bercek in the semifinals. Deltour went on to win four straight matches to advance from the prequalifying tournament to the qualifying Round of 32 in the All-American Championships and later made it to the second round of the Southeast Regional Championships.
Junior Jennifer Zika, a native of Wels, Austria, rounded out the five Blue Devil singles players with a regional ranking of 21. Zika posted a 4-4 record in fall singles action, advancing to the Round of 16 at the Nike Cal Invitational and the Round of 32 at the Southeast Regional Championships.
Bercek and Robinson made it to the finals of the Maryland Invitational and the quarterfinals of the All-American main draw before winning the Southeast Regional doubles championship. The pair was victorious in its final five matches of the season while earning a 10-2 fall record and a top regional doubles ranking.
Zika and freshman Melissa Mang teamed up to advance to the semifinals of the Southeast Regional Championships, only falling in a tiebreaker to Bercek and Robinson, who went on to win the tournament. A 2-1 slate at the end-of-fall Kitty Harrison Invitational led Mang and Zika to a 5-2 record for the season and a No. 7 regional ranking.
Carleton and junior Kristin Cargill earned a ninth-place ranking for their performance in making it to the quarterfinals of the Southeast Regional Championships in November. The duo went 2-1 in the tournament, defeating tandems from East Tennessee State and Wake Forest before falling to the second-seeded pair from Kentucky.
Duke had the highest number of individuals ranked in the Southeast Reion and matched the highest number of doubles teams ranked. The Blue Devils wrapped up their fall season in early November but will pick back up with their spring season in January. Duke will return to action Jan. 13-15 at the Freeman Invitational in Las Vegas.
-d-u-k-e-
Players Mentioned
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's TennisPLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's Tennis
PLAYER
/ Women's TennisEleana Yu Post Match vs. Auburn
Saturday, May 10
Jame Ashworth Post Match vs. Auburn
Saturday, May 10
Ellie Coleman Post Match vs. FAU
Saturday, May 03
Jamie Ashworth Post Match vs. FAU
Saturday, May 03
