April 20, 2007
CARY, NC –
Tarryn Rudman helped the Yellow Jackets clinch the doubles point and then cruised to a straight-set singles victory to lead No. 5 Georgia Tech (21-4) to a 4-0 win over No. 22 Duke (11-10) in the quarterfinals of the 2007 ACC Championships, which are being contested at the Cary Tennis Complex.
The Yellow Jackets will play the winner of Friday afternoon’s North Carolina – Wake Forest match Saturday at 1 p.m. in the second semifinal match of the day. Top-seeded Clemson will face either Miami or Florida State at 10 a.m. in Semifinal No. 1.
“Everyone really came out ready to play today and you could tell our team was ready to start tournament play,” said Georgia Tech head coach Bryan Shelton. “I saw a lot of energy and positive emotions before the match, and that showed in the way that our team played this afternoon.”
Tech set the tone with a pair of quick wins at the Nos. 1 and 3 doubles positions to take an early 1-0 lead in the match. The Jackets’ third-ranked duo of Kristi Miller and Whitney McCray dropped Duke’s 10th-ranked tandem of Daniela Bercek and Melissa Mang, 8-1, before Rudman and Kirsten Flower stopped Amanda Granson and Jessi Robinson, 8-2, to clinch the first point of the match for the Jackets.
“We really got off the mark quickly with wins at the first and third doubles lines,” said Shelton. “No. 3 doubles really gave us a boost, jumping to a 7-1 lead in what seemed like 20 minutes. We didn’t have too many unforced errors, and that gave us a big boost.”
Amanda Craddock, ranked 74th in the nation in singles, pushed the score to 2-0 with a quick 6-1, 6-4 win over Elizabeth Plotkin at the third singles spot before Rudman’s 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jessi Robinson at No. 6 singles gave Tech a 3-0 edge in the match.
Freshman Amanda McDowell then knocked off Tory Zawacki, 6-1, 6-3, at the fourth singles slot to finish the 4-0 sweep for the Yellow Jackets.
After entering the season with an 0-29 record against the Blue Devils, Georgia Tech went 2-0 against Duke in 2007.
Fans can follow livestats for all of Georgia Tech’s ACC Championship matches at www.ramblinwreck.com.
Tennis Match Results Duke vs Georgia Tech Apr 20, 2007 at Cary, NC
#5 Georgia Tech 4, #22 Duke 0
Singles competition 1. #8 Kristi Miller (GT) vs. #65 Daniela Bercek (DU) 6-2, 5-4, unfinished 2. #87 Alison Silverio (GT) vs. #85 Melissa Mang (DU) 4-6, 5-3, unfinished 3. #74 Amanda Craddock (GT) def. Elizabeth Plotkin (DU) 6-1, 6-4 4. Amanda McDowell (GT) def. Tory Zawacki (DU) 6-1, 6-3 5. #54 Christy Striplin (GT) vs. Clelia Deltour (DU) 7-5, 1-1, unfinished 6. Tarryn Rudman (GT) def. Jessi Robinson (DU) 6-2, 6-1
Doubles competition 1. #3 Miller/Whitney McCray (GT) def. #10 Bercek/ Mang (DU) 8-1 2. Craddock/Alison Silverio (GT) vs. Plotkin/ Zawacki (DU) 4-3, unfinished 3. Kirsten Flower/Tarryn Rudman (GT) def. Amanda Granson/Jessi Robinson (DU) 8-2
Match Notes: Duke 11-10; National ranking #22 Georgia Tech 21-4; National ranking #5 Order of finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (3,6,4)
