No. 9 Duke Knocks Off No. 2 Georgia Tech, 4-3, in Durham

March 22, 2008

ATLANTA – No. 14 Ellah Nze helped Duke (11-1, 4-0 ACC) sweep all three doubles matches before clinching match point with a straight-set singles win as the ninth-ranked Blue Devils knocked off No. 2 Georgia Tech (11-4, 3-1 ACC), 4-3, Saturday afternoon at Ambler Tennis Stadium.

Nze teamed with Reka Zsilinszka to defeat Tech’s 50th-ranked duo of Sasha Krupina and Whitney McCray, 8-6, before Jessi Robinson and Tori Zawacki stopped Noelle Hickey and Christy Striplin to help the Blue Devils take a 1-0 lead. Third-ranked Melissa Mang and Amanda Granson completed the doubles sweep with an 8-6 win over No. 14 Kristi Miller and Kirsten Flower.

Striplin tied the match at 1-1 by dropping Mang, 6-2, 6-2, at the No. 4 singles position and Flower gave Tech a 2-1 edge by defeating Granson, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 5 singles.

Duke rallied with straight-set singles wins by Robinson and Zsilinszka to take a 3-2 lead before Nze stopped fourth-ranked Amanda McDowell, 7-6 (6), 6-3, to clinch the match for the Blue Devils.

Miller battled back after dropping her first set to down Duke’s Tara Iyer, 4-6, 7-6 (5), 10-7, for the Jackets’ final point of the match.

The Jackets return to action next weekend when they host NC State and Wake Forest for a pair of matches over the weekend.

No. 9 Duke 4, No. 2 Georgia Tech 3March 22, 2008Ambler Outdoor Tennis Courts - Durham, N.C.

Singles 1. #6 Kristi Miller (GT) def. Tara Iyer (D) 4-6, 7-6 (7-5), 10-7 (super-tie break) 2. #14 Ellah Nze (D) def. #4 Amanda McDowell(GT) 7-6 (8-6), 6-3 3. #17 Reka Zsilinszka (D) def. #39 Whitney McCray (GT) 6-2, 6-2 4. #79 Christy Striplin (GT) def. Melissa Mang (D) 6-2, 6-2 5. # 32 Kirsten Flower (GT) def. Amanda Granson (D) 6-3, 6-2 6. Jessi Robinson (D) def. #29 Maya Johansson (GT) 6-4, 6-3 Order of finish: 4,5,6,3,2*,1

Doubles 1. #3 Mang/Granson (D) def. #14 Miller/Flower (G) 8-6 2. Zsilinszka/Nze (D) def. Krupina/McCray (G) 8-6 3. Jessi Robinson/Zawacki (D) def. Hickey/Striplin (G) 8-5 Order of finish: 2,3*,1

Match Notes Team Records: Duke (11-1, 4-0 ACC), Georgia Tech (10-4, 2-1 ACC)