After nearly three hours of play, senior Reka Zsilinszka pumped her fist in the air as she slammed a winner past her opponent to clinch a 4-3 upset for No. 4 Duke over third-ranked North Carolina.
Playing at the No. 3 singles spot, Zsilinszka outlasted the Tar Heels’ Shinann Featherston in a hard-fought 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 comeback win to earn the Blue Devils their 10th straight victory Wednesday afternoon.
“I was willing to stay out here, willing to lead the ball around, make her move,” she said. “I knew I could stay out here all day, and I was willing to make that effort, and I just really buckled down and fought.”
Head coach Jamie Ashworth noted that Zsilinszka was in her element today, adding that the match truly showcased the Blue Devils’ depth and their ability to grind out a win against tough and competitive teams.
“At one point we were down on all six courts, and we couldn’t really get over that hump of getting a lead of any kind,” Ashworth said. “I’m really happy with how we stayed with it, and we did a fairly good job of keeping our composure. We have to take from [the win] that we can beat a team like that, but we also need to be better. We need to hit the ball better.”
Duke (18-2, 7-0 in the ACC) took an early lead over North Carolina (18-4, 7-1), when the Blue Devils earned what would prove to be a pivotal doubles point. Senior Nadine Fahoum and freshman Hanna Mar had an 8-5 victory, then senior Ellah Nze and freshman Rachel Kahan lost their doubles match 3-8. But the duo of Mary Clayton and Monica Gorny secured the doubles point for the Blue Devils with an 8-3 win.
As play continued, it was clear the teams were evenly matched across the court. Four of the six matches split, and Fahoum—at first singles—was the only Duke player to fall in straight sets in a 3-6, 2-6 loss.
Fourth singles player Elizabeth Plotkin won 7-5, 1-6, 6-2 to remain undefeated in the ACC. At fifth singles, Kahan extended her undefeated streak in singles this season to 18 matches.
The freshman had a close 7-6 first-set win before dominating her opponent 6-2 in the second. She attributed the shift in her play to an increase in confidence.
“ I knew that she wasn’t really hurting my game, and it was really just my errors,” Kahan said. “[After the tiebreaker] she was a little down, so that really helped. I got a better feel on the ball, and I tried to take that as far as it would get me.”
The Blue Devils hope to improve their play and continue their winning streak this weekend as they take on Georgia Tech and Clemson on the road. The Blue Devils lost to both teams last year in close 4-3 decisions but are optimistic for this year’s rematches.
“Both are going to be tough matches,” Ashworth said. “We’re kind of looking at it like the NCAA Tournament—when you play a match like this and then you have to come back two days later and play again—so we have to have that mentality and be better.”
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