University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina
Georgia Tech
No. 10 Tar Heels Fall To No. 6 Yellow Jackets, 4-2
April 21, 2007 | Women's Tennis
April 21, 2007
CARY, N.C. --- No. 10 North Carolina lost a hard-fought doubles point and fell to No. 5 Georgia Tech, 4-2, Saturday afternoon in the semifinals of the Atlantic Coast Conference Women's Tennis Championship at the Cary Tennis Park. No. 102 Austin Smith and No. 56 Sanaz Marand scored singles wins for the Tar Heels, who will now await an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament.
The doubles point was back-and-forth throughout, as Georgia Tech (21-4) had match points at both No. 1 and No. 2 only to see Carolina rally. No. 5 Sara Anundsen and Jenna Long trailed No. 3 Whitney McCray and Kristi Miller 7-6 and faced a pair of match points before coming from behind for a 9-7 win. No. 22 Caitlin Collins and Sanaz Marand fell behind No. 51 Alison Silverio and Amanda Craddock 7-4 before forcing a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker at No. 2 started at almost the exact same time as a tiebreaker at No. 3, where Austin Smith and Meg Fanjoy fell to Tarryn Rudman and Kirsten Flower 9-8 (1). The Yellow Jackets clinched the point with a 7-4 win in the tiebreaker at No. 2.
UNC (21-8) jumped ahead quickly in singles play with wins at No. 5 and No. 6. Smith defeated No. 54 Christy Striplin 6-0, 6-4, while Marand dropped No. 31 Kirsten Flower 6-4, 6-1. A 6-4, 6-4 win by No. 74 Amanda Craddock at No. 3 tied the match, and No. 8 Miller topped No. 4 Long 7-5, 6-3 at No. 1 to give Georgia Tech a 3-2 lead.
No. 48 Katrina Tsang won the second set at No. 2 to force a third, but Amanda McDowell defeated Anundsen 6-3, 6-2 at No. 4 to clinch the match for the Yellow Jackets.
Carolina will now take some time off for final exams before returning to play in the NCAA Tournament. The field will be announced Tuesday, May 1 between 2:30 and 3 p.m. on ESPNEWS.
No. 5 Georgia Tech 4, No. 10 North Carolina 2
Singles
1. No. 8 Kristi Miller (GT) def. No. 4 Jenna Long (NC) 7-5, 6-3
2. No. 48 Katrina Tsang (NC) vs. No. 87 Alison Silverio (GT), DNF
3. No. 74 Amanda Craddock (GT) def. Caitlin Collins (NC) 6-4, 6-4
4. Amanda McDowell (GT) def. Sara Anundsen (NC) 6-3, 6-2
5. No. 102 Austin Smith (NC) def. No. 54 Christy Striplin (GT) 6-0, 6-4
6. No. 56 Sanaz Marand (NC) def. No 31 Kirsten Flower (GT) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
1. No. 5 Anundsen/Long (NC) def. No. 3 Whitney McCray/Miller (GT) 9-7
2. No. 51 Craddock/Silverio (GT) def. No. 22 Collins/Marand (NC) 9-8 (7-4)
3. Kirsten Flower/Rudman (GT) def. Meg Fanjoy/Smith (NC) 9-8 (7-1)
Order of finish:
Singles - 5, 6, 1, 3, 4
Doubles - 1, 3, 2
Players Mentioned
