Feb. 25, 2009
CLEMSON, S.C. – The fourth-ranked Georgia Tech women’s tennis team (5-3, 0-1 ACC) got singles wins from the four-six flights but dropped its Atlantic Coast Conference opener, 4-3, to No. 14 Clemson (8-3, 1-0) Wednesday afternoon at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center.
The Tigers opened the day by sweeping the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead over the Yellow Jackets. Tech’s fifth-ranked tandem of Amanda McDowell and Irina Falconi dropped an 8-6 decision to No. 27 Josipa Bek and Ina Hadziselimovic in the top spot of the lineup.
Hadziselimovic pushed Clemson’s lead to 2-0 after defeated No. 38 Christy Striplin, 6-3, 6-1, from the No. 3 singles position. Noelle Hickey, playing No. 4 singles, would get the Jackets within one when she defeated Keri Wong, 6-3, 6-2.
Bek scored Clemson’s third point of the afternoon as she handed 13th-ranked Falconi just her sixth loss of the year. The Tiger freshman, ranked #15, won both sets by a 6-2 margin.
Estefania Balda would then clinch the match for the Tigers, defeating No. 10 McDowell 7-5, 6-4 in the second singles flight.
Georgia Tech scored its second point of the day at the sixth position as Viet Ha Ngo defeated Henry, 6-3, 7-5. Sasha Krupina picked up Tech’s third point with 6-3, 0-6, 7-6 win from the fifth spot in the lineup.
The Jackets return home Sunday for a meeting with No. 7 Baylor at the Bill Moore Tennis Center beginning at 1 p.m.
#14 Clemson def. #4 Georgia Tech, 4-3
Doubles
1. #27 Bek/Hadziselimovic (CU) def. #5 McDowell/Falconi (GT) – 8-6
2. Henry/Wong (CU) def. #17 Striplin/Hickey (GT) – 8-4
3. Balda/Luc (CU) def. Lynn Blau/Krupina (GT) – 8-6
Singles
1. #15 Josipa Bek (CU) def. #13 Irina Falconi (GT) – 6-2, 6-2
2. Estefania Balda (CU) def. #10 Amanda McDowell (GT) – 7-5, 6-4
3. Ina Hadziselimovic (CU) def. #38 Christy Striplin (GT) – 6-3, 6-1
4. #77 Noelle Hickey (GT) def. #114 Keri Wong (CU) – 6-3, 6-2
5. Sasha Krupina (GT) def. Alexandra Luc (CU) – 6-3, 0-6, 7-6
6. Viet Ha Ngo (GT) def. Laurianne Henry (CU) – 6-3, 7-5
– RamblinWreck.com –
