Clemson’s Josipa Bek Eliminated from NCAA Singles Tournament

May 26, 2010

ATHENS, GA – In what was one of two first-round matchups of top-20 players in the 64-player NCAA Singles Championships, Notre Dame’s Kristy Frilling defeated Clemson’s Josipa Bek, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1 at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex in Athens, GA. Frilling, ranked #16 nationally and a 9-16 seed, defeated Bek, who is ranked 17th in a match that took more than two hours to complete.

Frilling got revenge from her defeat to Bek last season in the same tournament. Frilling will move on to play the winner of the Martina Pavelec (Wake Forest, #42) and Kristi Boxx (Ole Miss, #44) match.

Bek ends the season with a 28-14 overall record, playing primarily at the no. 1 singles position. She was the winner of the ITA Carolina Regional in the Fall and was named to the All-ACC team in the spring.

Each player held serve in the first four games before Bek broke Frilling to take a 3-2 lead in the fifth game. She then won four straight points after trailing 15-40 to take a 4-2 lead. Frilling then rattled off the next four games, breaking Bek twice, on her way to a 6-4 first-set victory.

In the second set, each player held serve. In the first three games of the second set. Frilling was down 0-40 in the third game, but won five straight points to take a 2-1 edge. The players traded breaks to go to 3-2, before holding to knot the match at 3-apiece.

Each held serve in the next two games before Bek broke through to take a 5-4 lead with a break point, before coming back form a 0-30 deficit to force deuce. Frilling took the advantage, but Bek answered with three straight points to take the second set, 6-4.

Frilling jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third set, holding serve and then breaking. Bek responded with a break of Frilling to gain her serve back, but Frilling responded with three straight games, taking a 5-1 lead and serving for the match. She took the win, 6-1 in the third set.

Bek will team up with Ina Hadziselimovic on Thursday to take on their first round opponent in the 32-team doubles field, Michaela Kissel and Dominica Zaparanza of Marshall, who are ranked #35 nationally. The time of the match has yet to be announced, but will be available to watch live at Georgiadogs.com.

Bek and Hadziselimovic have been named All-American for the second straight year in doubles.