Josipa Bek, Keri Wong Claim USTA/ITA Carolina Regional Doubles Title

Oct. 25, 2010

CHAPEL HILL, NC – Clemson junior women’s tennis players Josipa Bek and Keri Wong have claimed the 2010 USTA/ITA Carolina Regional Doubles Championship in Chapel Hill, NC. The tandem defeated Tar Heels Shinnan Featherston and Lauren McHale, 8-3, on their home court for the victory.

In the singles finals, Bek fell to UNC’s Zoe DeBruycker in straight sets. Bek was the two-time defending champion in the event, and the top overall seed this year.

“Today was another strong finish for our Tigers,” said head coach Nancy Harris. “Keri and Josipa played a solid match against UNC earning the Carolina Regional Championship title. Our girls have incredible hands and play some of the best doubles in the country. They are really fun to watch and I am excited for Clemson to have another great doubles team. We are looking forward to the challenge of the National Championships at Flushing Meadows in New York in the next 10 days and will start preparing this week.”

With the win, Bek and Wong, ranked fifth nationally, will travel to Flushing, NY for the ITA National Indoor Championships from Nov. 4-7.

The two reached the Finals of the ITA All-American on October 10, and were the top overall seed in the Regional event, which is held indoors. The duo has won nine of their last ten matches overall, with five of those coming against ranked opponents.

Last season, Bek and Ina Hadziselimovic lost in the regional finals, but the new pairing was able to hold up through six rounds in one of the toughest regions in the country. The Carolina Region includes all collegiate teams in North and South Carolina.

Among the top teams are North Carolina, UNC, Duke, Wake Forest, NC State, Furman, South Carolina, and Clemson, as well as 13 of the nation’s top 100 singles players.

Bek is still under consideration for a Wild Card spot in the National tournament, as she is currently ranked 13th in the nation in the ITA Singles Poll.

“Jo played such a hard fought match. I admire so much her courage and her will to win when she competes. She never gives up and plays to the last point with all her heart. DeBruycker of UNC had better depth today, but Jo will work even harder now I am certain. She is a true champion and I am so proud of her performances here in the singles. What a Tiger; she is quite a champ.”

Doubles Results (10/21/10): Round of 32: #5 Bek/Wong (CU) def. MacFarlane/Whitehead (UNC-G), 8-2 Round of 64: Belaya/Vyskocilova (CU) def. Alkema/Herrera (WIN), 9-8 Round of 32: #9 Clayton/Gorney (DUKE) def. Belaya/Vyskocilova (CU), 8-1 Round of 32: Rogers/Wilkins (UNC-G) def. Henry/Magnusson, 8-5

Doubles Results (10/22/10) Round of 16: #5 Bek/Wong (CU) def. DeBruycker/Stone (UNC), 9-7

Singles Results (10/22/10) Round of 64: #13 Josipa Bek (CU) def. Mihaela Bunea (CCU), 6-0, 6-2 Round of 64: Klara Vyskocilova (CU) def. Christy Sipes (NCSU), 6-0, 6-2 Round of 64: Laurianne Henry (CU) def. Lisa Sutton (CAMP), 6-4, 6-1 Round of 64: #68 Nelly Ciolkowski (CU) def. Anna Mydlowska (WFU), 6-4, 6-0 Round of 64: #39 Keri Wong (CU) def. Olga Makhova (CSU), 6-4, 3-6, 6-1 Round of 64: #111 Mary Clayton (DUKE) def. Caroline Magnusson (CU), 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 Round of 64: Maria Belaya (CU) def. Ioana Oprea (G-W), 6-1, 6-2

Doubles Results (10/23/10) Quarterfinals: #5 Bek/Wong (CU) def. Bhambri/Nagaraj (NCST), 8-4

Singles Results (10/23/10) Round of 32: #13 Josipa Bek (CU) def. Nitooli Wilkins (UNC-G), 6-0, 6-1 Round of 32: Klara Vyskocilova (CU) def. #50 Elizabeth Plotkin (DUKE), 6-0, 7-5 Round of 32: Hannah Mar (DUKE) def. Laurianne Henry (CU), 6-3, 6-2 Round of 32: #68 Nelly Ciolkowski def. Tessa Lyons (UNC), 6-4, 6-4 Round of 32: #39 Keri Wong (CU) def. Elizaveta Zaytseva (Winthrop), 6-3, 6-2 Round of 32: Maria Belaya (CU) def. #79 Kayla Duncan (WFU), 3-6, 7-6, 7-5 Round of 16: Josipa Bek (CU) def Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC), Round of 16: #34 Martina Pavelec (WFU) def. Klara Vsykocilova (CU), 6-2, 6-2 Round of 16: #55 Sandhya Nagaraj (NCST) def. #68 Nelly Ciolkowski (CU), 6-1, 6-1 Round of 16: Shinann Featherston (UNC) def. #39 Keri Wong (CU), 5-7, 6-3, 7-6(2) Round of 16: #29 Ellah Nze (Duke) def. Maria Belaya (CU), 6-2, 6-3

Doubles Results (10/24/10) Semifinals: #5 Bek/Wong (CU) def. Mar/Zsilinszka(DUKE), 8-2

Singles Results (10/24/10) Quarterfinals: #13 Josipa Bek def. #34 Martina Pavelec (WFU), 7-6(2), 6-1 Semifinals: #13 Josipa Bek def. #24 Nadine Fahoum (DUKE), 6-2, 6-2

Doubles Results (10/25/10) Finals: #5 Bek/Wong (CU) def. #44 Featherston/McHale (UNC), 8-3

Singles Results (10/25/10) Finals: Zoe DeBruycker (UNC) def. #13 Josipa Bek (CU), 6-4, 6-4