Tigers Knock Off #9 Duke, 6-1, On Sunday

March 23, 2008

DURHAM, NC – Second-ranked Ani Mijacika won her 21st singles match of the year as the Clemson women’s tennis team knocked off ninth-ranked Duke, 6-1, on Sunday afternoon at the Ambler Tennis Stadium.

The sophomore standout eked out a 3-6, 7-6, 10-8 victory over Tara Iyer for the 18th three-set victory of her career. Mijacika set the school record for a freshman last season with 12.

The Tigers rebounded from a 4-3 loss at #13 North Carolina on Saturday and are now 6-9 on the year with a 2-3 ledger in conference play. The Blue Devils (10-2, 3-1) fell for just the second time this season and suffered their first loss to a league foe.

The team of Mijacika and Carol Salge improved to 7-2 with its fifth win over a ranked opponent this season. The duo upset the Blue Devils’ #3 tandem of Melissa Mang and Amanda Granson (8-2) to clinch the doubles point for the Tigers. Estefania Balda teamed with Federica van Adrichem for an 8-4 win over Duke’s Jessi Robinson and Tory Zawacki at flight two, while Mang won at flight four against Van Adrichem, 6-1, 6-3, to score the first point of singles play and the only one for the Blue Devils on the afternoon.

Salge put the Tigers back on top, upsetting 17th-ranked Zsilinszka at flight three, 6-2, 6-4, while Luc scored Clemson’s third point with a straight-set victory over Zawacki at the sixth position (6-3, 6-4). Hadziselimovic clinched the match for the 34th-ranked Tigers, winning 6-4, 7-6(7) over Granson at flight five.

Balda also picked up a singles win with a three-set win over 14th-ranked Nze at the second position. The Clemson sophomore fell, 5-7, in the first set before winning the second and third frames (7-6, 10-8). The Tigers will return to the Hoke Sloan Tennis Center next weekend after playing seven straight road matches. Clemson will play host to Wake Forest on Saturday before facing NC State on Sunday.

#34 Clemson 6, #9 Duke 1 Singles 1. #2 Ani Mijacika (C) def. Tara Iyer (D) 3-6, 7-6, 10-8 2. Estefania Balda (C) def. #14 Ellah Nze (D) 5-7, 7-6, 10-8 3. Carol Salge (C) def. #17 Reka Zsilinszka (D) 6-2, 6-4 4. Melissa Mang (D) def. #124 Federica VanAdrichem (C) 6-1, 6-3 5. Ina Hadziselimovic (C) def. Amanda Granson (D) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7) 6. Alexandra Luc (C) def. Tory Zawacki (D) 6-3, 6-4 Order of finish: 4,3,6,5*,1,2

Doubles 1. #20 Mijacika/Salge (C) def. #3 Mang/Granson (D) 8-2 2. Balda/Van Adrichem (C) def. Robinson/Zawacki (D) 8-4 3. Hadziselimovic/Luc (C) def. Zsilinszka/Nze (D) 8-6 Order of finish: 2,1*,3