Eidukonyte & Navarro Upset Nation?s Top Doubles Team, But Tigers Fall to #2 UNC

CLEMSON, S.C. – Joana Eidukonyte and Fernanda Navarro upset the nation’s number one doubles team, however, Clemson as a team fell to second-ranked North Carolina, 7-0, on Friday afternoon at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center. With the loss, the Tigers fell to 10-8 (8-5 ACC), while the Tar Heels remained undefeated in ACC play, improving to 13-0, and 25-2 overall.

The highlight of the day for the Tigers was Eidukonyte and Navarro’s win over the Tar Heels’ Hayley Carter and Whitney Kay, the top-ranked doubles team in the nation. The Clemson duo defeated the UNC pair convincingly, by a score of 6-3 at No. 1 doubles. North Carolina was victorious at No. 2 and 3 doubles, however, to claim the team doubles point.

The Tar Heels took three quick singles victories, at No. 5, 1 and 4, in that order, to clinch the match. The remaining three singles matches were close. Navarro, after losing the first set 6-2 at No. 3, came back and forced a tiebreak in the second set against 55^th-ranked Jessie Aney before falling 7-6. At No. 6, Daniela Ruiz split the first two sets, and lost in a 10-point tiebreak in the third. Eidukonyte followed the impressive win in doubles with solid play in singles, but ultimately fell in a heartbreaker, with the third-set tiebreak ending at 12-10.

The Tigers return to action on Sunday, April 17 against another top-10 team when they host eighth-ranked Duke. The match against the Blue Devils begins at 12 p.m., and during a pregame ceremony, Clemson will honor its seniors, Eidukonyte and Tristen Dewar, as they play in the final home match at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center.

#2 North Carolina 7, #28 Clemson 0

SINGLES1. #1 Hayley Carter (NC) def. #40 Ayan Broomfield (CU) 6-1, 6-02. #39 Whitney Kay (NC) def. #23 Joana Eidukonyte (CU) 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (12-10)3. #55 Jessie Aney (NC) def. Fernanda Navarro (CU) 6-2, 7-6 (7-0)4. Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (NC) def. Tristen Dewar (CU) 6-3, 6-05. Marika Akkerman (NC) def. Jenny Moinard (CU) 6-1, 6-06. Ashley Dai (NC) def. Daniela Ruiz (CU) 6-7 (1-7), 6-0, 1-0 (10-2)Order of finish: 5,1,4,3,6,2

DOUBLES1. Joana Eidukonyte/Fernanda Navarro (CU) def. #1 Hayley Carter/Whitney Kay (NC) 6-32. Jessie Aney/Cassandra Vazquez (NC) def. Tristen Dewar/Jenny Moinard (CU) 6-23. Ashley Dai/Chloe Ouellet-Pizer (NC) def. Ayan Broomfield/Daniela Ruiz (CU) 6-3Order of finish: 2,1,3