Bob Larson's Tennis News | WTN: 2009 NCAA Division I Women's Tennis Championship Semifinals Match Results: #3 Duke 5, #2 Georgia 2

NCAA Division I Tennis Championships
Women’s Semifinals
May 18, 2009
George P. Mitchell Tennis Center
College Station, Texas

#3 Duke 5, #2 Georgia 2
RECORDS: Duke 28-3; Georgia 27-3

SINGLES
1. #9 Chelsey Gullickson (UGA) def. #6 Mallory Cecil (Duke), 6-4, 7-5
2. #37 Ellah Nze (Duke) def. #55 Yvette Hyndman (UGA), 6-4, 6-3
3. #30 Reka Zsilinszka (Duke) def. #56 Nadja Gilchrist (UGA), 6-4, 6-2
4. #91 Amanda Granson (Duke) def. #93 Monika Dancevic (UGA), 6-3, 6-2
5. #122 Melissa Mang (Duke) def. Naoko Ueshima (UGA), 6-2, 6-2
6. Cameron Ellis (UGA) def. Jessi Robinson (Duke), 6-3, 6-1

DOUBLES
1. #6 Gullickson/Gilchrist (UGA) vs. #22 Granson/Mang (Duke), 6-6 DNF
2. #53 Robinson/Cecil (Duke) def. Dancevic/Hyndman (UGA), 8-5
3. Zsilinszka/Nze (Duke) def. Ellis/Ueshima (UGA), 8-3

ORDER OF FINISH:
Doubles: 3, 2
Singles: 6, 4, 5, 1, 2, 3

POSTMATCH NOTES
Duke makes its second-ever national championship title match appearance in program history. The Blue Devils will take on eighth-seeded Cal on Tuesday, May 19 at 6 p.m. (CT) in College Station. The match will be televised live on ESPNU. With match point in progress on two courts, the final team score versus Georgia reflected both the No. 2 and No. 3 singles matches finishing up simultaneously. Duke previously played in the national championship match in 1998 with a 5-1 loss to Florida at Notre Dame, Ind.

POSTMATCH QUOTES
Duke Head Coach Jamie Ashworth
“I thought we did a really good job in doubles and fighting our way back into matches. It set the tone for our whole team throughout the entire match in doubles and singles. We weren’t going to give up any points. Georgia is a great team. We match up really well with them. Down the line, I was really confident with our singles. We have relied on Mal (Mallory Cecil) at No. 1 a lot. For us to beat a team ranked No. 2 in the country and top 5 all year, while taking a loss at No. 1, is a great thing. I obviously don’t want her to lose, but it shows the rest of the team that we don’t have to rely on her point to win. We left everything out on the court. We have played with six players all year long, due to illness or injuries. They knew that they could be one of the best teams in the country. They have done a great job of taking advantage of that opportunity. This win means a lot to them and to our program. It says a lot about their character. They are tough. We are one of two teams playing another day, so we are excited.”

Duke Sophomore Ellah Nze
“I was just trying to stay patient out there. Each point was very long. (Coach) Jamie (Ashworth) told me to keep moving on the return and I felt like if I just made her (Yvette Hyndman) play I had nothing to lose. I felt very confident if I didn’t win that point, Reka (Zsilinszka) would have won her match as well. Georgia is a tough team and has a lot of energy. It felt good to close them out.”

Georgia Head Coach Jeff Wallace
“Yesterday was a very tough match (against South Carolina). Our team came in here expecting to play a tough match every single time. We certainly have played back-to-back matches throughout the year, so it was more about this match today. I congratulate Duke and take my hat off to them. They played a good match. We missed some opportunities in doubles. We were up on two courts, but didn’t get it done there. That gave them a lot of momentum going into singles. Who knows what’s going to happen this year, because it’s not over yet. I am really proud of my team. If you take a look at everything we’ve done this year and accomplished – getting back to the Final Four – I am very proud of my team and what they have been able to do this year.”