No. 9 Tigers Drop Match to No. 12 Georgia

Feb. 12, 2011

CLEMSON, SC – The ninth-ranked Clemson women’s tennis team (8-1) dropped a showdown with the No. 12 Georgia Bulldogs (4-1), 5-2. The match took nearly five hours to complete at the Clemson Indoor Tennis Center on Saturday. Five singles matches went to three sets on the day, with the Bulldogs coming away with three of those.

The Bulldogs got revenge for Clemson’s two wins over them in 2010, including a win to advance to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA tournament.

Junior Josipa Bek had one of the most impressive performances, knocking off 2010 NCAA Singles Champion, Chelsey Gullickson, 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 in the top singles position. The two top players played to a stalemate last season, as Clemson clinched the NCAA second round match before they finished. It was Bek’s tenth straight win of the season, and she moved to 19-4 overall.

Georgia took a 1-0 lead by taking the doubles point. The 40th ranked doubles team of Alexandra Anghelescu and Cameron Ellis defeated Laurianne Henry and Masha Belaya to clinch the point.

At No. 1 doubles, Clemson’s Josipa Beka nd Keri Wong, ranked second in the nation, were knocked off by Chelsey Gullickson and Kate Fuller, 8-6, dropping the duo to 18-5 on the year.

Freshman Klara Vyskocilova moved to 7-1 on the season as she won a three-set match with Alexandra Anghelescu, 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 at flight four.

Ciolkowski took the first set from No. 67 Nadja Gilchrist, but Gilchrist rallied the next two sets to win, 3-6, 6-3, 6-2.

Keri Wong dropped the first set to Maho Kowase, 7-5, and looked to be all but out as she trailed 5-2 in the second set. But Wong fought back, and took the set in a tiebreak, forcing a crucial third set. Kowase showed grit, battling Wong for a 6-2 win in the third set.

Lilly Kimbell, ranked 95th in the nation, clinched the match for the Bulldogs, as she defeated Laurianne Henry, 6-3, 6-2.

Masha Belaya forced a third set against No. 58 Cameron Ellis, but it wasn’t enough as Ellis won a third set super tiebreak to finish the match.

Clemson returns to action on Feb. 18 as they travel to the Final 16 of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

Complete Results:

No. 12 Georgia def. No. 9 Clemson, 5-2 Feb. 12, 2011 – Clemson Indoor Tennis Center

Doubles: 1. Gullickson/Fuller (UGA) def. #2 Bek/Wong (CU), 8-6 2. Kimbell/Kowase (UGA) def. Belaya/Ciolkowski (CU), 8-3 3. #40 Anghelescu/Ellis (UGA) def. Henry/Vyskocilova (CU), 8-2 Order of Finish: 3,2*,1

Singles: 1. #12 Josipa Bek (CU) def. Chelsey Gullickson (UGA), 5-7, 6-2, 6-1 2. #97 Maho Kowase (UGA) def. #48 Keri Wong (CU), 7-5, 6-7(5), 6-2 3. #67 Nadja Gilchrist (UGA) def. Nelly Ciolkowski (CU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-2 4. Klara Vyskocilova (CU) def. Alexandra Anghelescu (UGA), 6-2, 1-6, 6-3 5. #58 Cameron Ellis (UGA), def. Masha Belaya (CU) 6-3, 4-6, 1-0 (10-6) 6. #95 Lilly Kimbell (UGA) def. Laurianne Henry (CU), 6-3, 6-2 Order of Finish: 4, 3, 1, 2, 6*, 5