North Carolina State University Athletics
Women's Tennis Falls to No. 7 Duke
3/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
RALEIGH, N.C. - Junior Berkeley Brock defeated the 23rd nationally ranked singles player, Ellah Nza of No. 7 Duke in a third set tie-break on Wednesday, March 25, in the Pack's loss to the Blue Devils in Raleigh, N.C. The win is Brock's first over a ranked opponent this season, and Nze is the highest ranked foe that Brock has beaten in her career. The Pack falls to 4-11 (1-4 ACC) after the 6-1 loss, and Duke improves to 12-3 (2-1 ACC).
Duke earned the 1-0 lead after winning all three doubles matches. Senior Neils Barringer and freshman Pender Sessoms fell to Nze and Reka Zsilinszka, 8-0, at No. 3. The 19th nationally ranked duo of Amanda Granson and Melissa Mang downed the 45th ranked pair of Brock and sophomore Lenka Hojckova, 8-6, at No. 1.
Junior Daria Petrovic and freshman Diana Mortlock battled back at No. 2 doubles to take a 6-5 lead over Mallory Cecil and Jessi Robinson, but the Blue Devils duo won the final three games to take the 8-6 win.
Petrovic fell to No. 30 Zsilinszka following an injury, 6-0, 1-0 inj. at the third singles spot. Barringer lost to 73rd-ranked Granson, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 4.
No. 31 Cecil secured the win for the Blue Devils with a 6-1, 6-2 win over No. 99 Lenka Hojckova at the top singles position.
Brock lost the first set to Nze, 6-4, but overpowered her in the second, 6-4, to split the sets. In the third-set tie-break, Brock was down 7-2 in the 10-point game, but then won eight of the last nine points to take the win over Nze.
Mortlock fell to Mang, 6-3, 6-2, at No. 5, and Sessoms lost to Robinson, 6-0, 6-3, at No. 6.
The Pack will host its final two home matches this weekend, facing Clemson on Saturday, March 28 at 12 p.m. and Georgia Tech on Sunday, March 29 at 1 p.m. NC State will be on the road for all of April.
No. 7 Duke d. NC State, 6-1
Doubles
1. No. 19 Granson/Mang (Duke) d. No. 45 Brock/Hojckova, 8-6
2. Cecil/Robinson (Duke) d. Mortlock/Petrovic, 8-6
3. Nze/Zsilinszka (Duke) d. Barringer/Sessoms, 8-0
Order of finish: 3,1,2
Singles
1. No. 31 Mallory Cecil (Duke) d. No. 99 Lenka Hojckova, 6-1, 6-3
2. Berkeley Brock d. No. 23 Ellah Nze (Duke), 4-6, 6-4, 1-0(10-8)
3. No. 30 Reka Zsilinszka (Duke) d. Daria Petrovic, 6-0, 1-0 inj.
4. No. 73 Amanda Granson (Duke) d. Neils Barringer, 6-0, 6-2
5. Melissa Mang (Duke) d. Diana Mortlock, 6-3, 6-2
6. Jessi Robinson (Duke) d. Pender Sessoms, 6-0, 6-3
Order of finish: 3,4,1*,2,5,6
*Clinches the win
