TCU
#4 Duke
Horned Frogs Down No. 4 Duke, 4-3
2/6/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
FORT WORTH, Texas - Freshman Alexis Pereira clinched the No. 20 TCU women's tennis team's victory over the highest ranked opponent in program history, as the Horned Frogs downed No. 4 Duke, 4-3, on Friday afternoon in the opening round of the 2015 ITA National Indoor Team Championships in Charlottesville, Va.
With the match tied up 3-3, the San Gabriel, Calif., native sent a volley winner right over the net to take her match 6-3, 5-7, 6-4, as the Horned Frogs (4-1) handed the defending indoor champion Blue Devils (4-1) their first loss of the season. TCU's win secures the team a spot in the quarterfinals of the indoor championships for only the second time in program history.
"It's a little surreal," head coach Lee Taylor Walker said. "It reminds me of our Texas A&M qualifier match. Our team and our coaching staff thought we had a good team and thought that we could win and we just focused on competing well. The longer the match went on, the more people started believing.
"I was so proud of Alexis because in that pressure situation, you're going to have to take it. So expect yourself to take it, pull the trigger and don't be afraid. I was proud of her for even doing that, much less than her actually executing."
TCU started off the match down 1-0 after dropping the doubles point to Duke. The freshman pair of Pereira and Palina Dubavets, who entered the match on a six-match winning streak, fell first on court three, 6-4. The Blue Devils were able to take the doubles point on court two after Simona Parajova and Sofiko Kadzhaya fell to Beatrice Capra and Rachel Kahan, 6-2.
The Frogs regrouped and came out aggressive in singles action with Kadzhaya easily handling her opponent Kahan, 6-3, 6-3, to even up the score at 1-1. Parajova followed suit and improved to 4-0 at No. 2 singles and 3-0 against ranked opponents by upsetting No. 55 Samantha Harris, 6-3, 6-4, to put TCU in the lead, 2-1.
Dubavets rebounded from dropping her first set on court four to take out Alyssa Smith 3-6, 6-3, 6-2, and firmly put the lead in the Frogs' favor with the match at 3-1.
Duke did not go down without a fight and picked up their first singles win at No. 5 singles and then evened up the match at 3-3 after No. 87 Ester Goldfeld defeated Stefanie Tan 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
The final point of the match would come to No. 6 singles with Pereira facing Annie Mulholland. Pereira took the first set 6-3, but fell in the second set 7-5, as the match went into the third and decisive set. Pereira jumped out to a 4-1 lead and never faltered, as she defeated Mulholland and clinched the match for TCU.
TCU will face No. 5 Cal in the quarterfinals of the indoor championship at 2:30 p.m., CST on Saturday.
Tennis Match Results
TCU vs Duke
Feb 06, 2015 at Charlottesville, Va.
(Boar's Head Sports C)
#20 TCU 4, #4 Duke 3
Singles competition
1. #87 Ester Goldfeld (DU) def. Stefanie Tan (TCU) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Simona Parajova (TCU) def. #55 Samantha Harris (DU) 6-3, 6-4
3. Sofiko Kadzhaya (TCU) def. Rachel Kahan (DU) 6-3, 6-3
4. Palina Dubavets (TCU) def. Alyssa Smith (DU) 3-6, 6-3, 6-2
5. Rebecca Smaller (DU) def. Seda Arantekin (TCU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-0
6. Alexis Pereira (TCU) def. Annie Mulholland (DU) 6-3, 5-7, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. Ester Goldfeld/Alyssa Smith (DU) vs. Stefanie Tan/Seda Arantekin (TCU) 4-5, unfinished
2. Beatrice Capra/Rachel Kahan (DU) def. Simona Parajova/Sofiko Kadzhaya (TCU) 6-2
3. Annie Mulholland/Samantha Harris (DU) def. Palina Dubavets/Alexis Pereira (TCU) 6-4
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (3,2,4,5,1,6)
Players Mentioned
