April 17, 2009
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CARY, N.C. – The Seminoles Federica Suess outlasted Sasha Krupina in three sets to push the 17th-ranked Florida State women’s tennis team (16-6) past No. 7 Georgia Tech, 4-3 Friday afternoon in the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament at Cary Tennis Center.
Krupina won the first set 6-4 and held a 5-2 advantage in the second set before falling 7-5 to Suess and led to a decisive third set. Krupina once again opened a lead over Suess but could not hold eventually falling 6-3 in the third.
“I want to congratulate Florida State on today’s match,” head coach Bryan Shelton said. “They played very well out there. We are going to head back home and regroup as we get ready for the NCAA Tournament.”
The Yellow Jackets (16-7) opened the day by taking the doubles point. Amanda McDowell and Lynn Blau finished off Lauren Macfarlane and Noemie Scharle, 8-5 on court three. Minutes later, Tech’s 29th-ranked duo of Christy Striplin and Noelle Hickey clinched the point with an 8-5 win of their own against Katie Rybakova and Suess at the top spot of the lineup.
The Seminoles were able to tie up the match with a 6-2, 6-1 win by Macfarlane over Hickey on court three but the Jackets moved ahead once again as Striplin defeated Ania Rynarzewska, 6-1, 6-1 from the fourth spot in the lineup.
Florida State pulled the score even at 2-2 when Jessica Sucupira held off Lynn Blau, 6-1, 7-6 (7-1) from court six.
Rybakova, the 58th-ranked player in the nation, would give the Seminoles their first lead of the day when she outlasted 21st-ranked McDowell, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3 at the top spot in the lineup.
The Jackets were not finished, pulling the score even for the third time as freshman Irina Falconi came from behind to beat Scharle, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 in the second flight, leaving the decisive point up to Krupina.
This marks the first time since 2004 the Yellow Jackets have not reached the semifinals of the ACC Tournament.
Georgia Tech will head back to Atlanta and await word on its selection to the 2009 NCAA Tournament. The men’s and women’s tennis selection show will air Tuesday, April 28 at 5:20 p.m. on ESPNU.
