Ninth-Ranked Women’s Tennis Upset By #34 VCU, 4-3

Feb. 3, 2008

CLEMSON, SC – Sophomore Estefania Balda won her fifth straight singles match, including four during the dual season, but the ninth-ranked Tiger women’s tennis team suffered a 4-3 loss to #34 Virginia Commonwealth on Sunday afternoon at the Clemson Indoor Tennis Center.

The Tigers captured all three doubles matches for the fourth time this season, but the Rams were too powerful in singles play, winning four flights to remain undefeated at 7-0.

Clemson, which played without injured #4-ranked Ani Mijacika, fell to 3-1 on the year.

Carol Salge and Federica van Adrichem improved to 6-1 overall with an 8-3 victory over VCU’s Viktoria Konstantinova and Olena Leonchuk at the number one doubles position. Tigers Ina Hadziselimovic and Alexandra Luc moved up to the second flight and edged Tatsiana Uvarova and Kateryna Yergina, 8-6, for their fifth straight doubles win.

Without Mijacika in the lineup, Balda paired with rookie Laurianne Henry to defeat Laura Burns and Kateryna Malakhova, 8-3, at number three.

Balda then won her flight two singles match over Konstantinova, 7-6(3), 6-3, and is now 9-5 on the year. Henry recorded Clemson’s third point, winning at the number-six position by default.

In other singles action, Salge fell to 35th-ranked Uvarova at flight one, 6-2, 6-1, while Hadziselimovic suffered a loss at the number-three spot, 7-6(4), 6-3, against Leonchuk. Yergina defeated Van Adrichem at flight four (6-3, 7-5), and Luc took Burns to three sets before falling (7-5, 1-6, 6-1).

The Tigers will return to action on Thursday at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoor Championships in Madison, WI. The ITA will release the tournament draw and full schedule on Monday.

#34 Virginia Commonwealth 4, #9 Clemson 3

Doubles 1. Salge/Van Adrichem (CU) def. Konstantinova/Leonchuk (VCU), 8-3 2. Hadziselimovic/Luc (CU) def. Uvarova/Yergina (VCU), 8-6 3. Balda/Henry (CU) def. Burns/Malakhova (VCU), 8-3

Singles 1. #35 Tatsiana Uvarova (VCU) def. #85 Carol Salge (CU), 6-2, 6-1 2. Estefania Balda (CU) def. Viktoria Konstantinova (VCU), 7-6(3), 6-3 3. Olena Leonchuk (VCU) def. Ina Hadziselimovic (CU), 7-6(4), 6-3 4. Kateryna Yergina (VCU) def. #53 Federica van Adrichem (CU), 6-3, 7-5 5. Laura Burns (VCU) def. Alexandra Luc (CU), 7-5, 1-6, 6-1 6. Laurianne Henry (CU) def. Kateryna Malakhova (VCU), default

Records: Virginia Commonwealth, 7-0; Clemson, 3-1