Tigers Open Season with Win at Virginia Tech Thursday

BLACKSBURG, Va. – It took all seven points, but the 20^th-ranked Clemson women’s tennis team opened the 2016 dual-match season with a road win at Virginia Tech on Thursday afternoon in Blacksburg, Va. Freshman Ally Miller-Krasilnikov clinched the 4-3 victory for the Tigers (1-0, 1-0 ACC) with a three-set win at No. 6 singles. The Hokies fell to 2-3 (0-1 ACC) with the loss.

The Tigers claimed the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead in the match. After the No. 2 doubles fell, Clemson’s Ayan Broomfield and Jenny Moinard evened things up with a win on Court 3, 6-4. The point came down to No. 1 doubles, where Joana Eidukonyte and Fernanda Navarro won 6-4 to put the Tigers on the board first.

In singles play, Broomfield was leading 3-0 at No. 2 when her opponent retired due to illness, putting Clemson up 2-0. Following a loss at No. 4 singles, Moinard gave the Tigers a 3-1 lead with a 6-3, 6-4 victory at No. 5. Virginia Tech claimed the next two points, with wins at No. 1 and No. 5 singles, to knot the team score at 3-3. The match came down to the No. 6 singles contest between Clemson’s Ally Miller-Krasilnikov and the Hokies’ Katherine Butler. The rookie came through for the Tigers, winning in three sets, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3, to clinch the victory for the team.

Clemson travels to Athens, Ga. on Saturday for a 4 p.m. contest against Georgia. The Bulldogs are ranked No. 2 in the nation according to the ITA poll released earlier this week.

#20 Clemson 4, Virginia Tech 3

SINGLES1. #109 Francesca Fusinato (VT) def. #1 Joana Eidukonyte (CU) 7-5, 6-22. Ayan Broomfield (CU) def. #104 Ilinca Stoica (VT) 3-0, retired3. Elena Cerezo-Codina (VT) def. #59 Fernanda Navarro (CU) 4-6, 6-0, 6-24. #108 Caroline Daxhelet (VT) def. Tristen Dewar (CU) 6-1, 6-45. Jenny Moinard (CU) def. Sansitha Nandakumar (VT) 6-3, 6-46. Ally Miller-Krasilnikov (CU) def. Katherine Butler (VT) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3Order of finish: 2,4,5,1,3,6

DOUBLES1. Joana Eidukonyte/Fernanda Navarro (CU) def. Caroline Daxhelet/Ilinca Stoica (VT) 6-42. Francesca Fusinato/Kelly Williford (VT) def. Ally Miller-Krasilnikov/Daniela Ruiz (CU) 6-03. Ayan Broomfield/Jenny Moinard (CU) def. Elena Cerezo-Codina/Raluca Mita (VT) 6-4Order of finish: 2,3,1