The Duke women’s tennis team was eliminated from the ITA Southeast Regionals Tournament Sunday after suffering quarterfinal losses in both the singles and doubles draws.
Senior Saras Arasu had the Blue Devils’ best singles showing, advancing to the quarterfinals for the second consecutive year. Arasu lost Sunday’s match in straight sets, 6-2, 6-2, to North Carolina’s 13th-ranked Aniela Mojzis.
In the quarterfinals of the doubles draw, senior Katie Blaszak and junior Jackie Carleton faltered in their round-of-eight match against Julie Coin and Alix Lacelarie of Clemson, 8-3. The sophomore duo of Kristin Cargill and Jennifer Zika dropped their doubles match 9-7 to the nation’s third-best duo, Kentucky’s Sarah Foster and Aibika Kalsarieva.
“Those are the kind of results where our depth is shown. Our No. 3 doubles team from last year can compete with the nation’s top teams,” head coach Jamie Ashworth said. “We’re in a much better position this year.”
Sunday’s matches concluded three days of match play for the entire women’s team, and despite the early exit, Duke showed its development since last season, when younger players were gaining the experience to provide the strength they have this season.
“We improved on last year’s results. This year, we had five players in the final 16 as opposed to only one last year,” Ashworth said, referring to Zika, Carleton, Blaszak and freshman Clelia Deltour, who all joined Arasu in Saturday’s play.
Arasu easily defeated UNC’s Caitlin Collins, 6-1, 6-0.
No. 68 Zika lost, 6-4, 6-2, against Barbara Orlay of N.C. State after recording two strong wins Friday in the opening rounds. The 19th-ranked Carleton, who transferred from UCLA, was bested by No. 113 Kendall Cline of North Carolina in a close three-set match, 7-5, 4-6, 6-2. Deltour and Blaszak each also lost in straight sets.
In Saturday’s doubles action, the pairs of Zika and Cargill as well as 32nd-ranked Carleton and Blaszak each eased through their second and third round matches after receiving first-round byes. Arasu and sophomore partner Tory Zawacki lost in the round of 32.
Despite the setbacks, the regional tournament allowed Duke necessary match time as the fall season winds down. “I’m hoping we can use this invitational to really establish ourselves as a team,” Ashworth said. “We’re looking to end the fall on a good note.”
The Blue Devils now look ahead to the Tar Heel Invitational Nov. 5 to 7, the Blue Devils’ last tournament of the fall before team play begins in the spring.
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