No. 11 Duke Defeats No. 20 Arizona State, 5-2

Sunday, March 4

Durham, N.C.

12:00 p.m.

Duke University

Arizona State

No. 11 Duke Defeats No. 20 Arizona State, 5-2

3/4/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C. - The 11th-ranked Duke women's tennis team notched its fourth victory of the season on Sunday afternoon, as the Blue Devils defeated 20th-ranked Arizona State, 5-2, at the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.

Duke won its fourth doubles point of the season to start things off, as the Blue Devil duo of senior Daniela Bercek and sophomore Melissa Mang came away with a 9-7 victory over sixth-ranked Kady Pooler and Roxanne Clarke at the No. 1 spot, and the tandem of sophomore Jessi Robinson and freshman Elizabeth Plotkin defeated Sabrina Capannolo and Jessica Leitch, 8-6, at No. 2.

Bercek and Mang improve to 5-0 on the season, a record that includes a 4-0 mark at the No. 1 position and a 2-0 mark versus ranked opponents, having faced two consecutive top-20 opponents.

At No. 3 doubles, the Duke senior duo of Kristin Cargill and Tory Zawacki fell to 46th-ranked Rebecca Rankin and Nadia Abdala, 8-5.

Arizona State knotted the score at one apiece with the first singles win of the day, as Clarke defeated 77th-ranked Elizabeth Plotkin, 6-4, 6-3, at the No. 3 slot.

Bercek then defeated 99th-ranked Capannolo, 6-1, 6-3, at the No. 1 position and classmate Clelia Deltour notched a straight-sets victory over Laila Abdala at the No. 6 position (6-3, 6-1), before Mang clinched the match for Duke with a three-set victory over 58th-ranked Nadia Abdala at No. 2 (6-3, 1-6, 6-1).

Mang notched her fifth consecutive victory on the day, as she improves to 5-1 on the season. That dual match record includes a 4-0 mark at the No. 2 singles slot and a 2-0 mark versus nationally ranked opponents.

Arizona State took the match at the No. 5 spot, as Pooler defeated Zawacki in three sets (6-4, 4-6, 6-3), while freshman Amanda Granson came away with a win over 63rd-ranked Rankin at No. 4 ( 6-4, 6-7, 10-4) to make the final score 5-2 in favor of Duke. Granson is 1-0 when facing a ranked foe.

“This was a good win and we definitely needed it,” said Duke head coach Jamie Ashworth. “We have had some good wins but this was something we can use to build on. Arizona State is much better than their 20 ranking, and they were coming off a big win at North Carolina yesterday, and our girls knew that. For us to win the doubles point was great; I think it was the best doubles we've played all season.”

The Blue Devils improve to 4-2 (1-0 ACC), while Arizona State falls to 7-3 (2-2 PAC-10).

Duke will remain at home for its next match, as the Blue Devils take on their second ACC opponent of the season in No. 29 Virginia . First serve is set for 1 p.m. at Ambler Stadium, weather permitting.

Complete Results - #11 Duke 5, #20 Arizona State 2

Singles
1. Daniela Bercek (D) def. #99 Sabrina Capannolo (A) 6-1, 6-3
2. Melissa Mang (D) def. #58 Nadia Abdala (A) 6-3, 1-6, 6-1
3. Roxanne Clarke (A) def. #77 Elizabeth Plotkin (D) 6-4, 6-3
4. Amanda Granson (D) def. #63 Rebecca Rankin (A) 6-4, 6-7, 10-4
5. Kady Pooler (A) def. Tory Zawacki (D) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
6. Clelia Deltour (D) def. Laila Abdala (A) 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 3,1,6,2*,5,4

Doubles
1. D. Bercek/M. Mang (D) def. #6 K. Pooler/R. Clarke (A) 9-7
2. E. Plotkin/J. Robinson (D) def. S. Capannolo/Jessica Leitch (A) 8-6
3. #46 R. Rankin/N. Abdala (A) def. T. Zawacki/Kristin Cargill (D) 8-5
Order of finish: 3,1,2*

* indicates clinching match

No. 11 Duke 4-2 (1-0 ACC)
No. 20 Arizona State 7-4 (2-2 PAC-10)

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