Duke Falls In ACC Championship, 4-2, To Clemson

Sunday, April 18

Raleigh, N.C.

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Duke Falls In ACC Championship, 4-2, To Clemson

4/18/2004 1:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

April 18, 2004

RALEIGH, N.C.- For the second time in a week, ninth-ranked Clemson knocked off fifth-ranked Duke on Sunday, but this time it was for the 2004 ACC Championship as the Tigers picked up a 4-2 win over the Blue Devils at the Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center in Raleigh, N.C.

In doubles action, Duke jumped out to an early lead at the third slot with Jennifer Zika and Katie Blaszak going up 5-1 over Richele Lesaldo and Karen Rombouts, but the Clemson tandem came back to post an 8-5 victory. In the other two matches, the Tigers went up early, but Duke made a comeback.

At the second position, Clemson's Alix Lacelarie and Julie Coin went up 5-2 over Amanda Johnson and Saras Arasu, but Duke came back to even the score, 6-6. The Tigers went on to win two consecutive points to clinch the doubles point. At the first slot, Duke's Tory Zawacki and Julia Smith's match against Daniela Alvarez and Maria Brito was abandoned with Clemson winning 8-7.

Clemson increased its lead to 3-0 once singles began as eighth-ranked Coin downed ninth-ranked Johnson, 6-3, 7-5 at the top slot and Lacelarie defeated Zawacki, 6-4, 6-1 at No. 3. Duke cut the Clemson lead to 3-1 just one minute later as Blaszak collected her first singles win of the year with a 6-4, 6-2 victory over Ioana Paun a the fifth slot.

Blaszak, a native of Fairfax, Va., was playing in only her fourth singles match of the year due to missing most of the season with a shoulder injury.

The Blue Devils were then able to cut the lead to 3-2 with a 6-0, 7-6 victory by 110th-ranked Arasu over Rombouts at the sixth position. Arasu, a product of Tampa, Fla., was able to battled back in the second set from being down 5-1.

The match was then down to the No. 2 and No. 4 positions. At No. 4, 114th-ranked Brito of Clemson cruised to a 6-1 win in the first set, but Smith responded with a 6-0 win in the second. Smith, a Windlesham, England native, would go on to lead 4-2 in the third set, but Brito responded by clinching the match for the Tigers with a 7-6 victory.

At the second slot, the match was abandoned with Clemson's 84th-ranked Alvarez winning 3-0 over 92nd-ranked Zika in the third set. The championship for Clemson is its first since 1987.

Duke falls to 19-4 overall and will await the NCAA Tournament, which begins on May 14.

Post match Quotes

Head Coach Jamie Ashworth

"Competing and physically wise I thought we were about even, but mentally I thought they played a little better than us in the big points. In doubles, we were up 5-0 on one court and on the other courts we came back to 6-6 on both of them. But we came back on one of them and lost four straight points on our serve. To me that is mental errors."

"In singles, we couldn't capitalize mentally when we put ourselves in positions to do so. We were always down trying to fight our way back. When we did we couldn't get over, mentally, that hump of taking advantage of coming back."

After losing the doubles point, what did you think of your chances: "I thought if they believed in themselves and believed in each other then the results would take care of themselves."

Senior Amanda Johnson

On losing the doubles point
"It would of definitely been more helpful if we would of won the doubles point. When you go out and have to win four out of the six singles match, it adds a lot of pressure."

What were you thinking as you watched the final two matches:
"I was thinking if Julia could of pulled it, I felt like Jenny would rise to the occasion even though she was down 3-0. It was tough to watch."

"I have to give Clemson credit as they have played two great matches against us over the last week. Julie [Coin] has played incredible and hit some unbelievable shots."

#9 Clemson 4, #5 Duke 2

Doubles
1.  Tory Zawacki/Julia Smith (DU) vs. Daniela Alvarez/Maria Brito (CU)  DNF
2.	Alix Lacelarie/Julie Coin (CU) d. Amanda Johnson/Saras Arasu (DU) 8-6
3.	Richele Lesaldo/Karen Rombouts (CU) d. Jennifer Zika/Katie Blaszak (DU) 8-5
Order of Finish:  3, 2

Singles
1.  #8 Julie Coin (CU) d. #9 Amanda Johnson (DU) 6-3, 7-5
2.  #92 Jennifer Zika (DU) vs. #84 Daniela Alvarez (CU)  DNF
3.  Alix Lacelarie (CU) d. Tory Zawacki (DU) 6-4, 6-1
4.  #110 Maria Brito (CU) d. Julia Smith (DU) 6-1, 0-6, 7-6
5.  Katie Blaszak (DU) d. Ioana Paun (CU) 6-4, 6-2
6.	#110 Saras Arasu (DU) vs. Karen Rombouts (CU) 6-0, 7-6
Order of Finish:  1, 3, 5, 6, 4