April 8, 2008

DURHAM, N.C. - The seventh-ranked Duke women's tennis team defeated 15th-ranked North Carolina, 5-2, on Tuesday afternoon at Ambler Tennis Stadium in Durham, N.C., as the Blue Devils improve to 14-3 (7-2 ACC).

With the loss, the Tar Heels fall to 14-7 (5-3 ACC).

The Duke duo of senior Tory Zawacki and junior Jessi Robinson dropped an 8-1 decision to the 51st-ranked Tar Heel tandem of Austin Smith and Katrina Tsang, but the Blue Devils bounced back to come away with the doubles point as the freshman pair of Reka Zsilinszka and Ellah Nze defeated Laura Rechert and Alexandra Jurewitz, 8-3, at No. 3 and the fifth-ranked team of sophomore Amanda Granson and junior Melissa Mang posted an 8-3 win over the third-ranked UNC pair of Sanaz Marand and Sophie Grabinski at the top position.

The Blue Devils then took their 1-0 lead and ran with it, winning three straight singles matches to clinch the match. Granson defeated Grabinski in straight sets (6-3, 6-0) at No. 5 and 17th-ranked Zsilinszka came away with a 6-2, 6-0 win over 97th-ranked Smith at No. 3 before Mang got past Reichert, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 4 for the match-clinching victory.