Only hours after unseeded Duke freshman Melissa Mang defeated 15th-ranked Boglarka Berecz of Florida Friday, classmate Tara Iyer had a rare opportunity to add another stunning upset.
Facing Stanford's Anne Yelsey, the second-ranked player in the nation, Iyer took her Cardinal opponent into a third set in the freshman's second match of the day at this weekend's Freeman Memorial Invitational-held from Friday through Sunday at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas.
"The most crucial moment in that match was the beginning of the third set," head coach Jamie Ashworth said. "She won the first, then lost a close second set, and I told her that she needed to stay disciplined in the third. I gave her one thing to focus on and that was her decision making. I knew that if she played smart in the last set, she could win."
Iyer took Ashworth's advice and completed the upset convincingly, 6-4, 5-7, 6-2.
It seems the coach's words were working for the freshmen Friday, as he also helped Mang make an adjustment in her first-round match. She had won a close first set against her Gator opponent but needed to be more aggressive with her forehand, shot placement and footwork, Ashworth said.
Mang heeded her coach's advice and topped Florida's Berecz in straight sets, 6-4, 6-1.
"They both had decent fall seasons," Ashworth said of his freshmen Iyer and Mang. "They beat who they were supposed to beat, but nothing more than that. They both had quality chances against good players, but never won the big matches. To get these wins early in the spring season is great, and wins like those really help the team, too."
Mang lost in the second round, along with Duke's 8th-seeded Jackie Carleton, a senior who is ranked 27th in the nation. Duke freshman Jessi Robinson made a first-round exit, and Iyer made it to Saturday's quarterfinals before falling to Celia Durkin of Stanford.
Following their upset victories, the freshman duo of Mang and Iyer teamed up for doubles action Friday, while Carleton and Robinson paired up as well. Both Duke doubles teams lost in the first round of play, but after wins in the consolation bracket they met for an all-Duke consolation final Sunday.
Carleton and Robinson upended the freshman pair in a hard-fought tiebreak to capture the doubles consolation title, 9-8. Both teams had beaten opponents from the University of South Carolina in the consolation semifinals.
Ashworth described the tournament as very tough, as it featured players from top teams such as top-ranked Stanford, No. 2 Florida, No. 5 University of Southern California and No. 22 South Carolina.
Looking forward to the start of the regular season, the 14th-ranked Duke team will seek to build on its performance at America's playground.
"It was a good gauge to see where our team is...a gauge of what we need to work on," Ashworth said of the tournament. "We're ready to have a good year and to get back with our winning tradition. We've struggled in the past few years, but everyone is excited to get back on track."
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