Duke Wins Again; Drops No. 12 Clemson 6-1

Friday, April 10

Durham, N.C.

3:00 p.m.

Duke University

Clemson

Women's Tennis Travels to Wake Forest on Wednesday

Duke Wins Again; Drops No. 12 Clemson 6-1

4/10/2009 8:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

DURHAM, N.C.?The Duke University women's tennis team continued its stellar play this evening with a thrilling 6-1 victory over 12th-ranked Clemson in a crucial ACC match-up. The fifth-ranked Blue Devils have won eight straight matches and will vie for a share of the ACC regular season title tomorrow versus Georgia Tech.

Duke improves to 19-3 overall and 9-1 against ACC foes. The Blue Devils are one of three teams with just one loss, including tomorrow's opponent Georgia Tech. A win over the Yellowjackets would give Duke the No. 2 seed in the ACC Tournament.

“I think we're really learning each other's game and we're feeding off one another now,” freshman Mallory Cecil said. “We were a little shaky in the middle of our season, but I think now we're definitely playing off of each other and meshing really well.”

“I think we're playing well right now,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “Our biggest thing is that everyone has so many matches and so everyone is match tough. I really think that shows in a match like this. We aren't going to be put in a position that we haven't been in all year and different people have stepped up in different situations. People are getting better and that's good to see.”

After being forced inside due to inclement weather after three doubles games, Clemson and Duke resumed their doubles play in the Sheffield Tennis Center. The dynamic duo of sophomores Ellah Nze and Reka Zsilinszka took control of the match early and cruised to the 8-2 win.

The eighth-ranked pair of Ani Mijacika and Keri Wong tied the doubles score up as they breezed to an 8-2 victory over No. 18 Amanda Granson and Melissa Mang in the top spot.

The crucial doubles point came down to the No. 2 match between Duke's Jessi Robinson and Cecil and Clemson's Josipa Bek and Ina Hadziselimovic. Both teams held serve and were tied 4-4. The Blue Devil broke on Clemson's next serve to go up 5-4. After holding serve to take a 6-4 lead, the Tigers held their own to make it 6-5. Robinson and Cecil moved one step closer, taking the next game 7-5.

Bek and Hadziselimovic had different plans as they rallied to tie the match 7-7. The Blue Devil tandem answered right back with a break for the 8-7 lead and held its serve to close out the match 9-7 for the 1-0 overall lead in the match.

“[Winning doubles] was big for us,” Cecil said. “It came down to our match and we were up and we knew we had to keep fighting. We knew they weren't going to give it to us and that we were going to have to earn it. I definitely think the momentum carried over for all of us because at the beginning of singles, we all won our first game.

“More impressive than the doubles point to me was the attitude we took going into singles,” Ashworth said. “We won the first game on all six courts. Win or lose the doubles point you have to come and get off to a good start in singles and it was great to see that.”

Garnering her 99th career victory, Mang made it 2-0 in favor of the Blue Devils with a win at No. 5. The native of New Orleans pushed her win streak to 10 matches, dropping Estefania Balda 6-1, 6-4. Mang will be going for her 100th career singles victory tomorrow versus Georgia Tech. A win will make Mang the 17th player to win 100 singles matches during her career.

Moments later, Granson made it a 3-0 score as she dispatched Keri Wong by a matching 6-1, 6-4 score. The victory was her 15th of the year and eighth against conference foes.

“I think [seeing 3-0 on the scoreboard] was good for us,” Ashworth said. “It's good and bad. I didn't want everyone else thinking, one more, one more kind of thing. We said trust in your teammates to win their match, but do everything you can to win your match no matter what the score is. We didn't want to get just to four and they did a really good job of running through the finish.”

The remaining four matches were close affairs that could go in either direction, leaving the match completely up in the air. Three of the four matches were tied at one set apiece to set up a decisive third match.

Facing the top-ranked player in the nation, Cecil clinched the Duke victory at No. 1 singles battling her way to a thrilling 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Mijacika. Cecil stayed on serve to take a 5-4 lead late in the third set and broke Mijacika's serve to close out the win 6-4. The victory is the rookie's second over the top ranked player in the nation at the time this season.

“I had a rough first set,” Cecil said. “The main thing I was focusing on was making the points as long as possible. Just narrowing things down to focus on helped a lot.”

“It definitely feels good [to beat two No. 1 players in the same season],” Cecil said. “It shows me that I can play with these girls and that anybody can win on any given day.”

The final three matches wrapped up minutes later with Robinson coming away with a big 6-7 (6), 6-3, 6-1 victory over Alexandra Luc. That pushed the senior's win streak to nine matches and her ACC record to 9-1 overall. Zsilinszka made it a 6-0 score for the Blue Devils as she rallied to win a super tiebreaker. The native of Fayetteville, N.C., won her 31st match of the year, dropping Hadziselimovic 7-6, 4-6 (10-5).

Clemson stole one point to avoid the sweep as 12th-ranked Bek scratched out 4-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 12 Nze at the second singles spot.

Duke closes out the regular season tomorrow, April 11, versus No. 7 Georgia Tech. Both teams enter the contest with 9-1 ACC records. It will be the final home regular season match for seniors Tara Iyer, Mang and Robinson.

#5 Duke University 6, #12 Clemson 1
Apr 10, 2009 at Durham, N.C. (Ambler Tennis Stadium)

Singles competition

1. #31 Mallory Cecil (DU) def. #1 Ani Mijacika (CLEM) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4

2. #12 Josipa Bek (CLEM) def. #28 Ellah Nze (DU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4

3. #40 Reka Zsilinszka (DU) def. Ina Hadziselimovic (CLEM) 7-6, 4-6, 1-0 (10-5)

4. #75 Amanda Granson (DU) def. Keri Wong (CLEM) 6-1, 6-4

5. Melissa Mang (DU) def. Estefania Balda (CLEM) 6-1, 6-4

6. Jessi Robinson (DU) def. Alexandra Luc (CLEM) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, 6-1

Doubles competition

1. #8 Ani Mijacika/Keri Wong (CLEM) def. #18 Amanda Granson/Melissa Mang (DU) 8-2

2. Jessi Robinson/Mallory Cecil (DU) def. #27 Josipa Bek/Ina Hadziselimovic (CLEM) 9-7

3. Reka Zsilinszka/Ellah Nze (DU) def. Estefania Balda/Alexandra Luc (CLEM) 8-2