Clemson Women’s Tennis Claims 2004 ACC Championship Title With Upset Over Duke

April 18, 2004

RALEIGH, N.C. – The ninth-ranked Clemson women’s tennis team upset fifth-ranked Duke by a score of 4-2 on Sunday to win the 2004 Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Tennis Championship held at the Millbrook Exchange Tennis Center in Raleigh, NC. The Tigers improve to 22-3 on the season with the win, while Duke falls to 19-4 overall. This is the seventh time in school history that Clemson has won the conference tournament title, and the first time since the 1987 season.

In doubles action, the Tigers won matches at flights two and three to claim the team doubles point. Clemson’s Julie Coin and Alix Lacelarie defeated Saras Arasu and Amanda Johnson of Duke by a score of 8-6 at flight two. At the number three position, the Tigers’ Richele LeSaldo and Karen Rombouts were victorious over the Blue Devils’ Katie Blaszak and Jennifer Zika by a score of 8-5.

In singles play, eighth-ranked Coin defeated ninth-ranked Johnson by a score of 6-3, 7-5 at flight one. Lacelarie won a 6-4, 6-1 decision over Duke’s Tory Zawacki at number three singles. At flight four, Clemson’s Maria Brito, ranked in a tie for 114th by the ITA, won a three-set decision over Julia Smith (6-1, 0-6, 7-5) to clinch the ACC Championship title for the Tigers. Clemson’s Ioana Paun dropped her flight five singles match to Blaszak by a score of 6-4, 6-2, while Rombouts fell to 110th-ranked Saras Arasu by a score of 6-0, 7-6(9) at flight six.

#9 Clemson 4, #5 Duke 2

Singles 1. #8 Julie Coin (CU) def. #9 Amanda Johnson (DU) 6-3, 7-5 2. #84 Daniela Alvarez (CU) vs. #92 Jennifer Zika (DU) DNF 3. Alix Lacelarie (CU) def. Tory Zawacki (DU) 6-4, 6-1 4. T-#114 Maria Brito (CU) def. Julia Smith (DU) 6-1, 0-6, 7-5 5. Katie Blaszak (DU) def. Ioana Paun (CU) 6-4, 6-2 6. #110 Saras Arasu (DU) def. Karen Rombouts (CU) 6-0, 7-6(9)

Doubles 1. Alvarez/Brito (CU) vs. Smith/Zawacki (DU) DNF 2. Coin/Lacelarie (CU) def. Arasu/Johnson (DU) 8-6 3. Richele LeSaldo/Rombouts (CU) def. Blaszak/Zika (DU) 8-5