#9 Miami Edges #13 Clemson, 4-3, In Women’s Tennis Action Saturday Afternoon

April 9, 2005

CLEMSON, SC – The Tiger women’s tennis team lost a tough match against the ninth-ranked Miami Hurricanes on Saturday afternoon, 4-3. Miami improved to 18-2 overall and 9-0 in the ACC with the win, while #13 Clemson fell to 17-7 overall and 5-2 in conference action.

The Tigers came back from a 6-2 deficit to take a 9-7 victory at flight three doubles to clinch the doubles point. Alix Lacelarie and Carol Salge broke Miami’s serve twice and held their own three times to get back into the match. Clemson’s Lacelarie won her serve, then the Tigers broke the Hurricanes’ serve to gain the win against Patricia Starzyk and Caren Seenauth. At flight one doubles, Clemson’s Julie Coin and Romy Farah, ranked #22, lost their first match in ACC play, falling to Miami’s fifth-ranked team of Megan Bradley and Audrey Banada by a score of 8-2. The Tigers knotted doubles play with an 8-3 win at flight two by Daniela Alvarez and Maria Brito over Miami’s Melissa Applebaum and Staci Stevens.

In singles action, Brito fell to #84 Emily Mowry at the flight five position, 6-1, 6-4, while #80 Farah easily won the No.2 contest over Stevens, 6-2, 6-2. In the highlight match-up of the day, #1 Bradley of Miami narrowly defeated Clemson’s Coin, ranked #2, 6-4, 6-4. Coin trailed 4-1 in the second set before breaking Bradley’s serve and holding her own to narrow the gap to 4-3. Bradley then won points off her next two serves, with Coin’s final point in between, to claim the victory and remain undefeated in dual action and conference matches. Coin dropped to 28-3 overall, including a 19-1 mark in dual matches and a 6-1 record in ACC play.

In the flight six contest, Salge was forced to retire in the second set. She had lost the first set to Audrey Banada, 6-3, and was down 5-2 in the second before the match was called. Starzyk clinched the match for the Hurricanes with a win at No.4 over Alvarez, 6-0, 3-6, 6-4. Lacelarie gained the final point Clemson, battling Applebaum at flight three. She won the grueling, three-set match, 6-4, 3-6, 6-4.

The Tigers return to action on Sunday, Apr. 10 as they host #34 Florida State in a 12 noon match at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center.

#9 Miami 4, #13 Clemson 3 Singles 1. #1 Megan Bradley (UM) def. #2 Julie Coin (CU) 6-4, 6–4 2. #80 Romy Farah (CU def. Staci Stevens (UM) 6-2, 6-2 3. Alix Lacelarie (CU) def. #124 Melissa Applebaum (UM) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4 4. #107 Patricia Starzyk (UM) def. Daniela Alvarez (CU) 6-0, 3-6, 6-4* 5. #84 Emily Mowery (UM) def. Maria Brito (CU) 6-1, 6-4 6. Audrey Banada (UM) def. Carol Salge (CU) 6-3, 5-2 ret. Order of finish – 5, 2, 1, 6, 4, 3 Doubles 1. #5 Bradley/Banada (UM) def. #22 Coin/Farah (CU) 8-2 2. Alvarez/Brito (CU) def. Applebaum/Stevens (UM) 8-3 3. Lacelarie/Salge (CU) def. Starzyk/Caren Seenauth Order of finish – 1, 2, 3 *clinched match