Blue Devils Fall At North Carolina, 4-3, On Wednesday

Wednesday, April 13

Chapel Hill, N.C.

TBA

Duke University

North Carolina

Blue Devils Fall At North Carolina, 4-3, On Wednesday

4/13/2005 1:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis

By: Duke Sports Information

April 13, 2005

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.- In a gritty effort by a short-handed 16th-ranked Duke women's tennis squad, the Blue Devils lost a tight, 4-3, contest to 13th-ranked North Carolina on Wednesday at the Cone-Kenfield Tennis Center in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Blue Devils fell to 13-8 overall, 4-4 in ACC action, while the Tar Heels improved to 19-6, 7-1.

Duke continues to be plagued with injuries as the Blue Devils were without 44th-ranked senior Katie Blaszak, sophomore Jennifer Zika and Lauren Archer (flu) in the match. Prior to the season, two-year starter Julia Smith was lost for her career due to injuries. The match was the 10th this season that was decided in a 4-3 score for Duke.

"We competed and attacked better tonight, which is a step in the right direction," said Duke Head Coach Jamie Ashworth. "People had to step up tonight and play positions they are not used to playing due to injuries. They were put in a difficult position."

North Carolina got things rolling quickly in the doubles action as the Tar Heels jumped out to 4-0 leads on the top two doubles courts. At the first slot, the sixth-ranked tandem of Kendall Cline and Aniela Mojzis went up 4-0 against Duke's Tory Zawacki and Kristin Cargill. The Duke duo won the next point to cut the advantage to 4-1, but the highly-ranked UNC doubles team went on to win the next four points to win, 8-0.

At court two, Duke's team of Jackie Carleton and Clelia Deltour played together for the first time this season and couldn't get anything going against the 24th-ranked team of Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long, falling 8-0. At No. 3, Duke's Parker Goyer and Saras Arasu battled tough with Caitlin Collins as they fell behind 2-0 early. The Blue Devil duo came back to tie the score, 4-4, but lost the next two games before the match was suspended. After doubles play was completed, North Carolina led 1-0.

In singles play, Duke jumped out to early leads on four of the six courts. Sophomore's Zawacki and Goyer led the Blue Devil charge on the No. 5 and No. 6 courts, respectively. Zawacki, a product of Union, N.J., had lost three out of her last four singles matches, but dominated Collins to win 6-2, 6-3. She improved to 20-12 on the season and evened the match, 1-1.

On court six, Goyer was playing in the biggest dual singles match of her career and the Birmingham, Ala., product made the most of it winning the first set, 6-2. The 5-2 righthander went on to win the second set, 6-3, to improve to 8-3 overall on the season and 3-0 in her career against ACC foes. With Goyer and Zawacki's matches finishing four minutes apart, the Blue Devils took their first lead of the night, 2-1.

"I was able to get off to a good start and that helped me with my confidence," said Goyer. "I was able to keep focused and stay positive during the match. I knew this was a big opportunity for myself tonight and every point would help us out."

For the next 40 minutes, there was a battle on the rest of the courts. Deltour, a freshman from Savigny sur Orge, France, got off to a quick start winning the first set, 6-3, but Long came back to take the second frame, 6-2. Long took a 3-2 lead in the third and final set, but Deltour clawed back to win the next four games to give the Blue Devils a 3-1 lead. Deltour improved to 15-6 on the season and has won four of her last five dual matches.

North Carolina wouldn't fold as the Tar Heels then won back-to-back matches on courts one and four. Anundsen won in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (7-3) over Cargill at the fourth slot and then not even a minute later 22nd-ranked Cline knocked off 111th-ranked Carleton, 6-4, 6-3.

The match came down to the second position as Duke's Arasu was playing at the second slot for the first time this season against 31st-ranked Mojzis. A product of Tampa, Fla., Arasu got off to a good start and was leading 5-4 in the first set, but Mojzis came back to win the final three points to take the first set, 7-6 (7-2). Arasu, a senior righthander, fought back to take the second set, 6-2. In the third set, Arasu once again jumped out to a 4-0 lead and then the other matches were completed.

All the fans moved above center court and Mojzis started to battle back winning four straight matches to even the third set, 4-4. Mojzis was then able to break Arasu's serve to move ahead, 5-4. Arasu wasn't able to hang on and lost, 6-4, which clinched the match for North Carolina, 4-3.

The four league losses for the Blue Devils mark the most single-season ACC losses over the 23 years of tennis at Duke. The regular season loss to North Carolina is the first since a 5-4 decision in 1987.

"It was great for our players to compete the way they did and when our injured players come back it should give them more confidence the rest of the way," said Ashworth.

The Blue Devils will next travel to eighth-ranked Georgia Tech and 14th-ranked Clemson to conclude the season this weekend. On Saturday at 12:00 p.m., Duke will take on the Yellow Jackets and then at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday the Blue Devils and Tigers will tangle.

#13 North Carolina 4, #16 Duke 3

Doubles:
1. #6 Kendall Cline/Aniela Mojzis (NC) d. Tory Zawacki/Kristin Cargill (D) 8-1
2. #24 Sara Anundsen/Jenna Long (NC) d. Jackie Carleton/Clelia Deltour (D) 8-0
3. Parker Goyer/Saras Arasu (D) vs. Caitlin Collins/Tanja Markovic (NC) suspended, 6-4 NC
Order of Finish - 1, 2*

Singles:
1. #22 Kendall Cline (NC) d. #111 Jackie Carleton (D) 6-4, 6-3
2. #31 Aniela Mojzis (NC) d. Saras Arasu (D) 7-6, 2-6, 6-4
3. Clelia Deltour (D) d. Jenna Long (NC) 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
4. Sara Anundsen (NC) d. Kristin Cargill 6-2, 7-6 (7-3)
5. Tory Zawacki (D) d. Caitlin Collins (NC) 6-2, 6-3
6. Parker Goyer (D) d. Charlotte Tansill (NC) 6-2, 6-3
Order of Finish - 5, 6, 3, 4, 1, 2*
*clinching match