No. 9 Clemson Powers Past Wolfpack on Saturday

March 27, 2010

CLEMSON, S.C. – The ninth-ranked Clemson women’s tennis team defeated #26 NC State by a 7-0 margin on Saturday at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center. The Tigers (15-3, 3-1 ACC) parlayed momentum from a big doubles comeback into a sweep of the singles matches and the victory over the Wolfpack (9-5, 1-3 ACC).

Clemson has now won ten straight over the Wolfpack, and holds a 37-4 all-time record against NC State. The Tigers had not played since March 16, but shook off the rust early in the win.

In doubles action, Clemson took the point in dramatic fashion, engineering comebacks at flights one and three after falling at flight two. NC State’s Hojckova and Petrovic defeated Estefania Balda and Nelly Ciolkowski, 8-5 to take the advantage in the doubles point.

The Wolfpack looked to have the point sewn up, as Clemson’s17th-ranked duo of Ina Hadziselimovic trailed 5-2 in their match with #42 Nagaraj and Berkeley Brock before rattling off seven of the next nine points to win the match.

Caroline Magnusson and Keri Wong then posted a comeback at flight three, fighting off match points to force a tiebreak set. The Tigers held a 4-2 edge before NC State evened it at four. Clemson then took a 6-4 lead, before NC State again knotted the match at 6-all. Wong and Magnusson hung on, and tallied the next, and final two points to lock down a 9-8 win, and the doubles point for the Tigers.

Hadziselimovic, after dropping the first three games, won the next nine, taking the first set 6-3, and taking a 3-0 edge in the second set, before going on to win 6-3, 6-2.

22nd-ranked Josipa Bek defeated #64 Sandyha Nagaraj, 6-4, 6-1 at flight one. Nelly Ciolkowski notched the clinching match for the Tigers with her 6-3, 6-0 win over Daria Petrovic at flight four. Ciolkowski, ranked 73rd nationally, is now 22-4 in her freshman campaign.

Freshman Caroline Magnusson continued her strong play, winning 6-0, 6-2 at flight six over Chloe Smith for her second career dual-match win and first ACC win.

Balda then won her fifth straight match, taking down Diana Mortlock at flight five, 7-6, 6-2. Keri Wong closed the match with a 7-6 (6), 6-4 win at flight two over Lenka Hojckova.

The Tigers return to action to take on #62 Wake Forest in a noon match at the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center in Clemson. Admission is free to the public.

#9 Clemson 7, #26 NC State 0 March 27, 2010 – Clemson, SC

Doubles: 1. #17 Bek/Hadziselimovic (CU) def. #42 Nararaj/Brock (ST), 9-7 2. Hojckova/Petrovic (ST) def. Balda/Ciolkowski (CU), 8-5 3. Wong/Magnusson (CU) def. Mortlock/Smith (ST), 9-8(6) Order of Finish: 2,1,3

Singles: 1. #22 Josipa Bek (CU) def. #64 Sandyha Nagaraj(ST), 6-4, 6-1 2. #59 Keri Wong (CU) def. Lenka Hojckova (ST), 7-6(6), 6-4 3. Ina Hadziselimovic (CU) def. Berkeley Brock (ST), 6-3, 6-2 4. #73 Nelly Ciolkowski (CU) def. Daria Petrovic(ST), 6-3, 6-0 5. Estefania Balda (CU) def. Diana Mortlock (ST), 7-6(4), 6-2 6. Caroline Magnusson (CU) def. Chloe Smith (ST), 6-0, 6-2 Order of Finish: 3,1,4*,6,5,2