Tiger Tennis Suffers Loss To Fresno State At USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships

Feb. 8, 2008

MADISON, WI – The 16th-ranked Clemson women’s tennis team dropped a 5-1 decision to #12 Fresno State on Friday at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships. The Tigers will conclude play in the tournament on Saturday at 10:00 am.

The Bulldogs took the 1-0 lead in the match with wins at the number one and two doubles positions. Ani Mijacika and Carol Salge fell to the nation’s #1-ranked team of Melanie Gloria and Tinesta Row, 8-5, while the Fresno State duo of Renata Kucerkova and Anastasia Petukhova, ranked #29, defeated Clemson’s Ina Hadziselimovic and Alexandra Luc by the same margin.

The flight three contest between the Tigers’ Estefania Balda and Laurianne Henry and Jacqueline Haskett and Vanessa Heroux of the Bulldogs was suspended at 7-7 as Fresno State had clinched the point.

Luc was the only Clemson player victorious in singles play on Friday, defeating Danon Beatty in straight sets at flight six, 6-0, 6-1. Her win tied the score at one apiece.

However, the Bulldogs rattled off wins at flights two, four, three and one for the victory.

Eleventh-ranked Petukhova defeated Balda at the number two spot, 6-1, 6-2, before #43 Row won a three-set battle with Hadziselimovic at flight four, 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4. Kucerkova then clinched the match for Fresno State with her 6-4, 6-3 win over Clemson’s Salge at the number three position.

Mijacika then fell at flight one in three sets to 39th-ranked Gloria (6-3, 3-6, 6-3).

#12 Fresno State 5, #16 Clemson 1

Doubles 1. #1 Gloria/Rowe (FS) def. Mijacika/Salge (CU), 8-5 2. #29 Kucerkova/Petukhova (FS) def. Hadziselimovic/Luc (CU), 8-5 3. Balda/Henry (CU) vs. Haskett/Vanessa Heroux (FS), dnf

Singles 1. #39 Melanie Gloria (FS) def. #4 Ani Mijacika (CU), 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 2. #11 Anastasia Petukhova (FS) def. Estefania Balda (CU), 6-1, 6-2 3. #94 Renata Kucerkova (FS) def. #84 Carol Salge (CU), 6-4, 6-3 4. #43 Tinesta Row (FS) def. Ina Hadziselimovic (CU), 6-2, 6-7(3), 6-4 5. Laurianne Henry (CU) vs. Jacqueline Haskett (FS), dnf 6. Alexandra Luc (CU) def. Danon Beatty (FS), 6-0, 6-1 Order of Finish – 6, 2, 4, 3, 1