Feb. 3, 2007
MADISON, Wis. – Senior Tarryn Rudman and freshman Amanda Craddock went to third sets in their singles matches with both needing wins for No. 6 Georgia Tech (3-0) to knock off No. 1 Stanford (3-1), and both players did so, ending the Cardinal’s 89-match winning streak, which dated back to the NCAA Championship match in 2003 and was the longest winning streak in NCAA Division I Women’s Tennis history.
With the victory, the Jackets will meet either Notre Dame or Northwestern in the finals of the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships Sunday at 12 noon ET. Stanford had won its last 14 matches in the tournament, including the last three titles, from 2004-06.
“When you go against a dynasty like Stanford, you want to keep it simple,” said Georgia Tech head coach Bryan Shelton. “We did a good job today of not playing the name [Stanford], but going out and playing tennis. I think of this like breaking the four-minute mile, with how dominant Stanford has been over the last three years. For us to be the ones to end that winning streak really says a lot about our program and just how for we have come.”
“Stanford is an excellent program, and they have represented this sport so well. Today, they could have easily been bad sports, but they were so gracious, and, even in defeat, are a class act. My hat is off to the entire program that they have, and for what they stand for.”
With Tech trailing by one point in the match, the Yellow Jackets’ 64th-ranked Craddock came back after dropping her first set, 6-4, to Stanford’s Lejla Hodzic to win the second, 6-2, before cruising to a 6-0 victory in the third frame to tie the match at 3-3.
Meanwhile, the Johannesburg, South Africa native Rudman won her first set, 6-2, before the Cardinal’s Whitney Deason mounted a comeback in the second frame to win 7-5, but couldn’t continue the run as Rudman came back from a 2-1 deficit in the deciding third set to win, 6-2, 5-7, 6-4, to hand the Cardinal players their first match loss. No member of the current Stanford team had ever suffered a match loss since their arrival on campus.
“Our girls worked extremely hard today, and they are a talented young group of players,” said Shelton. “Amanda was so strong today, and for Tarryn to get the win at the end really meant a lot for this team. I think for both of our seniors to clinch the matches on back-to-back days like they did couldn’t have happened to two nicer, better people.”
After falling behind 2-0 to begin the match, eighth-ranked Jesssica Nguyen, 13th-ranked Celia Durkin and No. 89 Theresa Logar recorded straight-set victories to give the Cardinal a 3-2 lead. Durkin, playing at No. 3 singles, defeated No. 95 Christy Striplin, 6-1, 6-4, before Nguyen tied the match at 2-2 with a 6-4, 6-3 win over No. 82 Alison Silverio at the No. 4 position. Logar then gave Stanford the lead with a 6-0, 6-2 victory against 15th-ranked Kristi Miller at the top singles spot.
“Stanford didn’t lose this match today, we came out and won and really set the tone early,” said Shelton. “Even in the matches that we lost in singles, we competed and never backed down.”
Tech’s 25th-ranked Kirsten Flower improved to 3-0 in dual matches when she breezed to a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Anne Yelsey at the No. 2 singles slot, which gave the Jackets the 2-0 match lead. The freshman from Columbus, Ohio improved her overall singles record to 16-6 in just her first season on the Flats, and is now 2-0 against opponents from Stanford, with the other victory coming in straight sets against then-third-ranked Logar at the ITA National Indoor Individual Championships.
After Stanford won the first doubles match at the No. 2 position, the Yellow Jackets dug in for victories at the Nos. 1 and 3 slots to take the first point of the match. Miller and Whitney McCray knocked off the Cardinal’s tandem of Durkin and Yelsey, 8-6, at the top doubles line while the rookie tandem of Flower and Amanda Craddock clinched the deciding doubles match with a 9-7 victory over Whitney Deason and Logar at No. 3.
“I am so pleased with the way that we started the match today,” added Shelton. “We didn’t back down in doubles, and our freshmen at No. 3 really played out of their minds. It was so great to see them dig in and get that win today. Every point was big in their match, but they stayed calm, played aggressively, and stepped up. For them to do that against Stanford really says a lot. Whitney and Kristi just played at such a great high quality of tennis tonight, and really keyed our victory in doubles.”
Tennis Match ResultsGeorgia Tech vs StanfordFeb 03, 2007 at Madison, Wisc.
#6 Georgia Tech 4, #1 Stanford 3
Singles competition 1. #89 Theresa Logar (ST) def. #15 Kristi Miller (GT) 6-0, 6-2 2. #25 Kirsten Flower (GT) def. Anne Yelsey (ST) 6-3, 6-3 3. #13 Celia Durkin (ST) def. #95 Christy Striplin (GT) 6-1, 6-4 4. #8 Jessica Nguyen (ST) def. #82 Alison Silverio (GT) 6-4, 6-3 5. Tarryn Rudman (GT) def. Whitney Deason (ST) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4 6. #64 Amanda Craddock (GT) def. Lejla Hodzic (ST) 4-6, 6-2, 6-0
Doubles competition 1. Whitney McCray/Kristi Miller (GT) def. Celia Durkin/Anne Yelsey (ST) 8-6 2. Lindsay Burdette/Jessica Nguyen (ST) def. Tarryn Rudman/Alison Silverio (GT) 8-5 3. Amanda Craddock/Kirsten Flower (GT) def. Whitney Deason/Theresa Logar (ST) 9-7
Match Notes: Georgia Tech 3-0; National ranking #6 Stanford 3-1; National ranking #1 Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,3,4,1,6,5)
Georgia Tech ended Stanford’s winning streak at 89 matches, dating back to 2003. Stanford’s last loss was in the NCAA Championship match vs. Florida on 5/18/03.
