Wake Forest University
North Carolina State
Deacs Drop 4-3 Heartbreaker to `Pack in ACC Opener
2/26/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Feb. 26, 2012
RALEIGH, N.C. - NC State's Chloe Smith won 7-5 in the third set in the deciding No. 5 singles match to hand the Wolfpack women's tennis team a narrow 4-3 victory over Wake Forest in the ACC opener for both teams.
The No. 67 Demon Deacons (1-4, 0-1 ACC) won the doubles point, as they have in every match this year, but came up just short in extremely close singles play that saw three matches decided in three sets. The match was the first-ever in No. 49 NC State's new Dail Outdoor Stadium.
After Wake Forest's Ryann Cutillo closed out Tatiana Illova in three sets at No. 2, the overall score was tied 3-3, leaving the match to be decided at No. 5 singles where Karen Forman battled back after dropping the first set to Smith to force a deciding third frame. Forman fell down a break, leaving Smith to serve for the match at 5-4, but the Deacon freshman broke back to get to 5-5. However, Smith jumped on Forman early in the following game earning another break and another chance to serve out the match, and this time she made no mistake, closing out the 6-1, 4-6, 7-5 win that sealed victory for the `Pack (4-6, 1-0 ACC).
As they have all year, the Demon Deacons started strong in doubles. Wake Forest's 44th-ranked duo of Kayla Duncan and Kathryn Talbert won easily at the No. 1 doubles spot, downing Joelle Kissell and Ashley Miller 8-1. Wake Forest's No. 2 duo of Ryann Cutillo and Rebecca Siegler fell by an 8-2 scoreline to Tatiana Illova and Nicole Martinez, leaving the point to be decided at No. 3.
At that No. 3 spot, the Deacons' Brigita Bercyte and Karen Forman went back and forth with the Wolfpack's Sophie Nelson and Christy Sipes. The Wake Forest tandem gained a break advantage to go ahead 5-4, and fought off a break point in their next service game to push the lead to 6-4. With momentum in their favor, they easily broke the State duo again to move the score to 7-4. Nelson and Sipes had one last gasp left in them, breaking to draw within two games at 7-5, but the Deacon duo followed with a break of their own to seal the 8-5 win, giving Wake Forest the doubles point.
Talbert quickly extended the Wake Forest lead to 2-0 with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Elisha Hande at No. 3 singles, but all of the other singles matches would be close affairs.
The Wolfpack stormed back to tie the match 2-2 as Sipes topped Brigita Bercyte 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6 and the 52nd-ranked Kissell outlasted No. 81 Duncan at No. 1 in a hard-fought 6-3, 6-3 decision.
That left three Demon Deacons on the court - Cutillo at No. 2, Siegler at No. 4 and Forman at No. 5 - all in their third sets.
Siegler fell into a 5-2 hole in the final set against Miller, but after holding to get to 5-3, she saved two match points on Miller's serve and converted on her third break-point of the game to get back on serve 4-5. But Miller bounced right back, breaking Siegler in the following game to finish out a 1-6, 6-4, 6-4 win that gave the Pack its first lead of the day at 3-2.
Cutillo then broke Illova's serve to go ahead 5-3 in the third set at No. 2 and successfully served it out to knot the score 3-3. But Smith rescued the day for the Wolfpack at No. 5.
The Demon Deacons will continue ACC play next Thursday when they travel to face North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
#49 NC State 4, #67 Wake Forest 3
Singles
1. #52 Joelle Kissell (NCSU) def. #81 Kayla Duncan (WF) 6-4, 6-3
2. Ryann Cutillo (WF) def. Tatiana Illova (NCSU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
3. Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Elisha Hande (NCSU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Ashley Miller (NCSU) def. Rebecca Siegler (WF) 1-6, 6-4, 6-4
5. Chloe Smith (NCSU) def. Karen Forman (WF) 6-1, 4-6, 7-5
6. Christy Sipes (NCSU) def. Brigita Bercyte (WF) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles
1. #44 Kayla Duncan/Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Joelle Kissell/Ashley Miller (NCSU) 8-1
2. Tatiana Illova/Nicole Martinez (NCSU) def. Ryann Cutillo/Rebecca Siegler (WF) 8-2
3. Brigita Bercyte/Karen Forman (WF) def. Sophie Nelson/Christy Sipes (NCSU) 8-5
Match Notes:
Wake Forest 1-4, 0-1 ACC; National ranking #67
NC State 4-6, 1-0 ACC; National ranking #49
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3*); Singles (3,6,1,4,2,5*)
Players Mentioned
