May 16, 2003

GAINESVILLE, FLA. - For the sixth time in school history and the first time since 1999, the third-ranked and third-seeded Duke women's tennis team advanced to the NCAA Final Four with a 4-0 victory over 13th-ranked UCLA (16-11) on Friday at the Ring Tennis Complex in Gainesville, Fla. The Blue Devils, who own a 14-match win streak, also made Final Four appearances in 1999, '98, '97, '96 and '92.

Duke will next battle second-ranked Florida (29-2) on Saturday at 10:00 a.m., which will mark the third time this season the two squads have faced each other. The Blue Devils defeated the Gators, 4-3 back on Feb. 9 to win their first USTA/ITA National Team Indoor title and then fell, 4-3, to Florida on Mar. 26 in Gainesville. Duke owns a 0-4 record against Florida in NCAA Tournament action and overall 3-25 mark against the Gators.

In the doubles action, the Blue Devils kept up its stellar play by cruising to victories at the No. 1 and No. 3 positions. The Duke tandem of Katie Blaszak and Katie Granson picked up their first victory together with an 8-2 win over Anya Loncaric and Susi Wild at the third slot. The Granson/Blaszak team lost the first two points before registering eight consecutive points to take the victory. Duke's eighth-ranked duo of Amanda Johnson and Julie DeRoo then clinched the doubles point with an 8-2 win over Jackie Carleton and Feriel Esseghir at the first position.

Duke once again got off to a hot start in singles play as 69th-ranked Blaszak won her eighth straight singles match by cruising past Laura Gordon, 6-1, 6-3, at the sixth position. The match took only one hour of time to play and Blaszak, a sophomore from Fairfax, Va., was the first Duke singles player to finish her match for the second consecutive day. Then, just nine minutes later Granson, a senior native of Bethlehem, Pa., won her 10th straight match with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Loncaric at the sixth slot to give Duke a 3-0 advantage. Granson improves to 32-7 in singles action this season.

DeRoo, a senior product of Ecully, France, then was able to clinch the match for the Blue Devils at the fourth position with a 6-4, 6-2 score over Esseghir.

With the victory, Duke improves to 30-2 overall and ties an ACC record with its 30th victory of the season. The previous record was held by Clemson's 1983 squad. The Blue Devils own a 27-2 record this season when winning the doubles point.

#3 Duke 4, #13 UCLA 0

Doubles
1. #8 Amanda Johnson/Julie DeRoo (DU) def. Jackie Carleton/Feriel Esseghir (UCLA) 8-2
2. #14 Kelly McCain/Hillary Adams (DU) vs. #46 Laura Gordon/Sara Walker (UCLA) DNF
3. Katie Granson/Katie Blaszak (DU) def. Anya Loncaric/Susi Wild (UCLA) 8-2


Singles
1. #2 Kelly McCain (DU) vs. #12 Sara Walker (UCLA) DNF
2. #19 Amanda Johnson (DU) vs. #20 Jackie Carleton (UCLA) DNF
3. #60 Saras Arasu (DU) vs. #50 Susi Wild (UCLA) DNF
4. Julie DeRoo (DU) def. Feriel Esseghir (UCLA) 6-4, 6-2
5. #69 Katie Blaszak (DU) def. Laura Gordon (UCLA) 6-1, 6-3
6. Katie Granson (DU) def. Anya Loncaric (UCLA) 6-4, 6-1


Order of finish: Doubles - 3,1; Singles- 5,6,4