04/12/2008 - Duke Sports Information

BLACKSBURG, Va. - The ninth-ranked Duke women's tennis team cruised to a 6-1 victory over 56th-ranked Virginia Tech on Saturday afternoon at the Burrows/Burleson Tennis Center in Blacksburg, Va.

The Blue Devils improve to 15-3 (8-2 ACC) while Virginia Tech falls to 14-11 (2-8 ACC).

In singles, Virginia Tech's lone win occurred in the No. 6 match as Holly Johnson defeated Tory Zawacki, 6-1, 6-4.

Action at No. 1 saw Tara Iyer defeat Inga Beermann, 7-5, 6-0, while 15th-ranked Ellah Nze got past 120th-ranked Yasmin Hamza, 7-6, 1-6, 1-0 (4), at No. 2.

At No. 3, 17th-ranked Reka Zsilinszka posted a 6-2, 6-2 win over Jessica Long  and Melissa Mang defeated J.J. Larson, 7-6, 7-5, in the No. 4 match.

Amanda Granson also got a victory on the day, defeating Jessica Brouwer, 6-3, 6-0.

In doubles, the Hokies won at No. 2 as Beermann and Johnson defeated Iyer and Zawacki, 8-2, but the fifth-ranked Duke tandem of Granson and Mang got past Brouwer and Larson at No. 1, 8-1, before Duke took the doubles point as Nze and Zsilinszka defeated Hamza and Long, 8-4, at No. 3.

Duke will close out the regular season on Sunday as the Blue Devils square off against 48th-ranked Virginia at 12 noon in Charlottesville.

#9 Duke 6, #56 Virginia Tech 1
Singles
1. Tara Iyer (DU) def. Inga Beermann (VT) 7-5, 6-0
2. #15 Ellah Nze (DU) def. #120 Yasmin Hamza (VT)  7-6, 1-6, 1-0 (4)
3. #17 Reka Zsilinszka (DU) def. Jessica Long (VT) 6-2, 6-2
4. Melissa Mang (DU) def. J.J. Larson (VT) 7-6, 7-5
5. Amamda Granson (DU) def. Jessica Brouwer (VT) 6-3, 6-0
6. Holly Johnson (VT) def. Tory Zawacki (DU) 6-1, 6-4

Doubles
1. #5 Granson/Mang (DU) def. Brouwer/Larson (VT) 8-1
2. Beermann/Johnson (VT) def. Iyer/Zawacki (DU) 8-2
3. Nze/Zsilinszka (DU) def. Hamza/Long (VT) 8-4

-duke-