Top-ranked Women's Tennis Falls at Illinois, 4-3

Sunday, February 23

Champaign, Ill.

TBA

Duke University

Illinois

Top-ranked Women's Tennis Falls at Illinois, 4-3

2/23/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

Feb. 23, 2003

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.-The top-ranked Duke women's tennis team was shocked on Sunday as the Blue Devils lost a 4-3 contest to 49th-ranked Illinois in Champaign, Ill. At the Atkins Tennis Center. Duke came into the match at 9-0 while having six players ranked in the top-100 nationally in singles and three doubles teams in the top-50, but the Blue Devils were without 65th-ranked Julia Smith and 81st-ranked Katie Blaszak due to injuries.

Duke took the doubles point, winning 8-0 on No. 2 and 8-6 on No.3, but lost the momentum when the Illini tandem of McGaffigan and senior Michelle Webb, ranked 21st nationally, beat the Blue Devils' No. 13 duo of Hillary Adams and Kelly McCain

Trailing 3-2 the Fighting Illini turned to two of its best clutch performers to pull out the win. Senior Eldina Fazlic and junior Jennifer McGaffigan did not let the team down.

McGaffigan, No. 41 nationally, found herself in a familiar position with the team needing a win to clinch the match. After winning the first set 6-2, the UI junior dropped the second set 6-4 forcing the deciding set.

With their match tied at five, Duke's Amanda Johnson broke McGaffigan's serve to go up 6-5 and seemingly clinch the match for the Blue Devils. Instead the resilient McGaffigan rallied to tie the contest at six each, leading to a match-deciding tiebreaker. In the breaker, McGaffigan never trailed. The Davenport, Iowa native capitalized on Johnson's mistakes; built a 5-1 lead and set off the celebration with a 7-3 win.

McGaffigan played at No. 2 for the first time in two years because she matched up favorably with Johnson, also an Iowa native, and knew her game from previous encounters.

Fazlic set the stage for McGaffigan's heroics with some of her own. Instead of folding after dropping the first set 6-1, Fazlic evened the score, taking the second set 6-4. Going into the final set, Fazlic was confident she would prevail. With the third set tied at three, Fazlic took control and finished off her opponent, winning three of the final four games.

Webb, at No. 6, and Brianna Knue, at No. 4, picked up the other Illinois singles victories. Webb defeated Prim Siripipat 6-3, 6-3 despite battling sickness over the last few days. Knue, who had dropped her last four matches, showed no signs of giving up in her match against 36th-ranked Julie DeRoo despite being down 4-1 in each set. The UI freshman returned to the player who won 13 of her first 17 collegiate matches and took the match, 6-4, 6-4.

Duke (9-1) will next host Michigan on Friday at 4:00 PM and Purdue on Sunday at 12:00 PM in the Sheffield Indoor Tennis Center.

Todays Results:
Singles:
1. No.2 Kelly McCain (DU) def. Tiffany Eklov (ILL) 6-3, 6-2
2. No. 41 Jennifer McGaffigan (ILL)  def. No. 15 Amanda Johnson (DU) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6(3)
3. Eldina Fazlic (ILL) def. No. 98 Katie Granson (DU) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
4  Brianna Knue (ILL) def.  No. 36 Julie DeRoo (DU) 6-4, 6-4
5. No. 43 Saras Arasu (DU) def. Eva Choe (ILL) 6-4, 6-4
6. Michelle Webb (ILL) def. Prim Siripipat (DU) 6-3, 6-3

Doubles:
1. No. 21 Jennifer McGaffigan/Michelle Webb (ILL) def. No. 13 Hillary Adams/Kelly McCain (DU) 8-6
2. No. 11 Amanda Johnson/Julie DeRoo (DU) def.  Tiffany Eklov/Brianna Knue (ILL)    8-0
3. No. 49 Katie Granson/Julia Smith (DU) def. No. 54 Eldina Fazlic/Eva Choe (ILL)         8-6