Duke Stops Razorbacks To Advance To NCAA Quarterfinals

Friday, May 15

College Station, Texas

10 a.m.

Duke University

Arkansas

Duke Stops Razorbacks To Advance To NCAA Quarterfinals

5/15/2009 4:15:00 PM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS?Duke University freshman Mallory Cecil rallied to win a three-set match to clinch a 4-2 win over Arkansas in the NCAA Tournament round of 16. The third-seeded Blue Devils advance to the quarterfinal round against No. 5 Miami on Sunday, May 17 at 1 p.m. (ET).

Duke advances to the NCAA Quarterfinals for the 13th time in program history and for the fourth time since the field was expanded to 64 teams in 2000. It is Duke's first appearance in the quarterfinal round since 2006.

The Blue Devils fell behind early in the match as they dropped the doubles point for the first time in 10 matches. They quickly rebounded in singles, winning four of the five singles matches that finished.

“I was disappointed in our doubles, not necessarily that we lost, but because it seemed like we were sitting back and hoping,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “We were hoping they would miss, instead of controlling the tempo of the match. Over the last couple of weeks, we had been doing a really good job of doing that. It was the first doubles point we have lost in over a month”

Arkansas raced out in front of Duke's Ellah Nze and Reka Zsilinszka at No. 3 doubles. The Blue Devil tandem fought back, but could not overcome the early deficit to lose 8-6. The top pair of Melissa Mang and Amanda Granson jumped out to a 2-0 lead before the Razorbacks rallied back to tie the match. The 20th-ranked pair of Nanar Airapetian and Anouk Tigu coasted from that point to clinch the single point with an 8-4 victory.

Facing the 1-0 deficit, Duke came back and took first set in four of the six singles matches. However, it was Arkansas that captured the first singles point of the afternoon when Kate Lukomskaya edged Duke's Jessi Robinson 6-4, 6-3 for the 2-0 lead in the overall match.

Moments later, the match was all tied up at 2-2 with both Mang and Zsilinszka coming away with victories. In the No. 5 spot, Mang breezed past Airapetian 6-0, 6-3 to push her win streak to 15 matches. Zsilinszka tied the score as she made quick work of Ela Kaluder, 6-4, 6-2, at No. 3.

“In the singles, I thought we did a great job. There's not a situation that we haven't been in previously. We've lost the doubles point to good teams and won the match. We've won the doubles point and won the match, so there is no unfamiliar territory. The singles was a great effort all the way through. I was really happy with how we competed. We probably took Arkansas' best shot and that's something we can build on to play Miami on Sunday.”

After cruising to a 6-1 win in the first set, Granson dropped the second 6-7 (3) to make the match more interesting. The Hilton Head, S.C., native got back on track in the third to win 6-1, 6-7 (3), 6-2 and give Duke a 3-2 lead overall.

The Blue Devils held leads on remaining courts and rookie Mallory Cecil closed out the match for Duke with a three-set victory at No. 1. The sixth-ranked Cecil fell behind early against No. 2 Aurelija Miseviciute in the match with a 6-7 (2) setback in the first set. She responded in a big way, controlling the final two sets to secure the 6-7 (2), 6-2, 6-1 match-winning victory.

“My serve really helped me out a lot,” Cecil said. “I depended on that and it came through for me. Once I had that figured out, I was really happy with the tactic that I had.”

The win was Cecil's 14th straight and marked her 14th win over a nationally-ranked opponent. She is 4-1 against players ranked among the top-five and has beaten the nation's No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 players.

Duke and Miami will play for the third time this season when they meet in the quarterfinal round. The two teams split the other two matches with the Hurricanes taking the regular season contest and the Blue Devils exacting revenge in the ACC Championship match. It is the first time the two teams have met in NCAA postseason play.

The Blue Devils will take on ACC rival Miami on May 17 at 1 p.m., at the Mitchell Tennis Center. Live scoring and live video is available at www.GoDuke.com.

#3 Duke University 4, #14 University of Arkansas 2
May 15, 2009 at College Station, Texas (Mitchell Tennis Center)

Singles competition

1. #6 Mallory Cecil (DU) def. #2 Aurelija Miseviciute (ARK) 6-7 (2-7), 6-2, 6-1

2. #37 Ellah Nze (DU) vs. #77 Anouk Tigu (ARK) 7-6 (7-2), 4-5, unfinished

3. #30 Reka Zsilinszka (DU) def. Ela Kaluder (ARK) 6-4, 6-2

4. #91 Amanda Granson (DU) def. Emily Carbone (ARK) 6-1, 6-7 (3-7), 6-2

5. #122 Melissa Mang (DU) def. Nanar Airapetian (ARK) 6-0, 6-2

6. Kate Lukomskaya (ARK) def. Jessi Robinson (DU) 6-4, 6-3

Doubles competition

1. #20 Nanar Airapetian/Anouk Tigu (ARK) def. #22 Amanda Granson/Melissa Mang (DU) 8-4

2. #53 Jessi Robinson/Mallory Cecil (DU) vs. #45 Aurelija Miseviciute/Ela Kaluder (ARK) 7-6, unfinished

3. Emily Carbone/Kate Lukomskaya (ARK) def. Ellah Nze/Reka Zsilinszka (DU) 8-6