Sunday 05/29/2011
May 29, 2011
Results | Quotes | NCAA Tournament Central | Bek/Wong One-Sheeter | Updated Bracket
STANFORD, CA – Josipa Bek and Keri Wong just keep rolling, this time bouncing the No. 3 national seed, Southern Cal’s Maria Sanchez and Kaitlyn Christian, from the NCAA Doubles Semifinals, 6-4, 6-4 in Stanford, CA. The Tigers broke the Trojans’ serve in seven of ten service games to propel them to the win.
They advance to play in the National Championship match against the winner of No. 1 seed Jana Juricova and Mari Andersson of California and No. 4 seed Hilary Barte and Mallory Burdette of Stanford. The match time is yet to be determined, as Juricova has also earned a berth in the Singles Championship match.
“Both of them are great doubles players,” said Head Coach Nancy Harris, who led the team to a fifth straight Sweet 16 appearance. “With Jo and Keri, they are both so gifted and talented. When one is playing well, and the other is not, they complement each other so well, and when they both play well, they are very tough to beat.”
“There is no easy match at nationals, and we fought every point today,” said Bek. “We just try to play hard whether serving or receiving, and it was important to make good decisions about where to go with the ball, and we were good about looking for their positions on the court and how we can take advantage.”
The win comes just a day after they dispatched the No. 2 seed from Florida, Allie Will and Alex Cercone, who had been 14-0, in the quarters. The Trojans entered this match with a 27-4 mark on the year, but held just three of ten service opportunities in the match.
Among Clemson sports that employ a single-elimination tournament format, this will be just the fourth appearance in a National Championship match in school history (Gigi Fernandez – Tennis Singles, 1983; Soccer, 1984; Soccer 1987).
It was Bek’s 40th doubles win of the season and the 95th of her career, while Wong registered her 39th of the season and 91st of her career. The previous record for doubles wins in a singles season was 35 by Ina Hadziselimovic last season.
They have now reached the finals of each of the three collegiate “Grand Slam” events, the ITA All-American Championship, the ITA Indoor National Championship, and the NCAA Championship.
“The matches have been very tough,” said Wong. “We knew going in that it was going to be very tough, but playing in the other two tournaments helped us to see what the competition is like. We were expecting it but at the same time you never know.”
The duo is 34-10 together on the season, far surpassing the previous tandem’s record of 29 wins in 2004.
“Both Keri and Jo are juniors, and they have been in this arena several times, and they love it and enjoy it,” said Harris. “They are looking for the next opportunity to get the next point, and it’s a great focus and energy that is propelling them. There is no doubt that this is one of the best doubles teams in college tennis history.”
Clemson had first serve in the opening set, and each team held the first three games before Clemson broke the Trojans and then held again to take a 4-1 lead. The Trojans got back on serve after breaking back to pull within 4-3, starting a streak of four straight breaks that finished with Sanchez’s double fault giving the Tigers the 6-4 first set.
Clemson opened the second set strong as well, holding the first game and then breaking Sanchez to take a 2-0 lead. The Trojans broke Bek, but Clemson answered with a quick break of Christian and a 3-1 lead. Clemson then held, to go up 4-1, as Bek’s smash found open court on Wong’s serve.
Much like the first set, The Trojans got back on serve to close to 4-3, but Clemson again broke Christian setting up Wong with a 5-3 lead. Clemson took a 15-0 lead as Bek used a series of smashes, and Christian put a return in the net. Wong’s offer on the next point was long, knotting it at 15-15. Wong then double-faulted twice in a row, giving USC the 15-40 lead. Christian then hit a winner down the line off the next serve to break, pulling to within one at 5-4.
With Sanchez back serving, Wong’s return was into the net, giving SC the 15-0 lead. Sanchez then double faulted, knotting it at 15-15. Christian hit the next ball off Wong’s return at Bek’s feet and she couldn’t handle it, but bounced right back sending a backhand winner down the line off the next serve. Sanchez again double-faulted, setting up match point at 30-40.
Sanchez fought off her own serve, missing long on the first, and setting up a high-pressure situation. But, the nation’s third-ranked singles player hit her second offer into the net, her third double-fault of the game, and clinching it for the Tigers, their seventh break of the match.
“I’ll be really happy and proud if we can win tomorrow, and would be big for all of us,” said Bek. “It is a reflection of everything and all the support we get day to day in Clemson, and would be big for our fans and how we represent Clemson University.”
QUOTES
Head Coach Nancy Harris:
Opening statement: “They are playing some incredible tennis, playing some great teams, and working really well together. Just playing some beautiful tennis. It is so beautiful to watch the tactics, and it has been so much fun.”
On Bek and Wong and the tournament format: “One of the things I like about them is that in this type of play, in each round they have the opportunity to get better and to learn, something they’ve done all year. In each round we can make adjustments, and I think that is good about having just two athletes to work with. Both of them are great doubles players. With Jo and Keri, they are both so gifted and talented. When one is playing well, and the other is not, they complement each other so well, and when they both play well, they are very tough to beat. They have a great desire to win and be successful and they fight so well and are so focused at a very high level. They bring their best, and we’ve seen that here.”
On the experience of the players: “I think is so important for players to go far in the draw, because the benefit is in the next year. They’ve been far in the tournament, anytime you can get this time of experience, you get more comfortable. Both Keri and Jo are juniors, and they have been in this arena several times, and they love it and enjoy it. They are looking for the next opportunity to get the next point, and it’s a great focus and energy that is propelling them. There is no doubt that this is one of the best doubles teams in college tennis history.”
On the program: “Year in year out we are blessed with great people and great athletes, and we are attracting players that hopefully want to go on. It is evidence that they can do this and are capable of playing at a championship level. They’re just not giving points away.”
Josipa Bek:
Opening statement: “It was a good match. There is no easy match at nationals, and we fought every point today.
“We just try to play hard whether serving or receiving, and it was important to make good decisions about where to go with the ball, and we were good about looking for their positions on the court and how we can take advantage. It puts us in position to play the best ball we can in each situation.”
On getting over the hump and potential finals opponent: “We lost in the other two finals, but tomorrow is new day, and I hope it will be a different story. We need to be more aggressive, and don’t let anything let us down or bother us. I think we have a lot of experience, which should help us tomorrow. Both opponents are good, for me I don’t care who we have to play. Obviously Stanford would have home court, but we will be ready no matter who we have to play.”
On their place in history: “There is a lot of history that I wasn’t aware of. It would mean a lot of each of us. I don’t know much about it before I was at Clemson, but I know a lot of how hard it is to compete, and how great the players are here. I know how many great players compete in these events, and how hard it is to win each time. I know that National Championships are very important, and we have a chance. I’ll be really happy and proud if we can win tomorrow, and would be big for all of us. It is a reflection of everything and all the support we get day to day in Clemson, and would be big for our fans and how we represent Clemson University.”
Keri Wong:
Opening statement: “I am excited because it is a big tournament, but it’s our third final, and we want to win the final this time.”
On the opponents so far: “They have been very tough. We knew going in that it was going to be very tough, but playing in the other two tournaments helped us to see what the competition is like. We were expecting but at the same time you never know.”
On being able to break serve on seven of 10 tries: “We knew we needed to play with them, because they are pretty good servers. It was different because they were crafty at the net. The first double-fault [in the deciding game] we just needed to use to our advantage, and you could tell she was feeling the pressure, but I was trying to move at the net and pressure the serve.”
On what they will need to improve on to win the title: “I think I have needed to finish the points off the court more, and both of us weren’t doing that in the first match, but we are still working on it and getting better each time out.”
FULL RESULTS
NCAA Doubles Championships Taube Tennis Center – Stanford, CA
First Round Stadium Court 3 – May 26, 2011 (5-8) #6 Bek Wong (CU) def. #38 Boxx/Guthrie (MISS), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
Round of 16 Stadium Court 6 – May 27, 2011 (5-8) #6 Bek/Wong (CU) def. #18 Pluskota/Boren (TENN), 6-1, 6-7(8), 7-6(1)
Quarterfinals Stadium Court 6 – May 28, 2011 (5-8) #6 Bek/Wong (CU) def. (2) #2 Cercone/Will (FLA), 6-2, 7-5
Semifinals Stadium Court 5 – May 29, 2011 (5-8) #6 Bek/Wong (CU) def. (3) #4 Sanchez/Christian (USC), 6-4, 6-4
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