March 28, 2008

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --- No. 21 Florida State took four of six singles matches to overcome an early deficit and defeat No. 12 North Carolina, 4-3, Friday afternoon at the Scott Speicher Tennis Center. No. 9 Sanaz Marand and No. 27 Katrina Tsang picked up singles wins for the Tar Heels, who fell to 12-6 and 3-2 in Atlantic Coast Conference play. Florida State improved to 13-3 (3-2 ACC).

Carolina jumped out to an early lead after taking a hotly-contested doubles point. Marand and junior Sophie Grabinski, the No. 10 doubles tandem in the nation, opened play with an 8-3 win over No. 53 Ania Rynarzewska and Katie Rybakova at No. 1. After FSU triumphed at No. 3, Tsang and junior Austin Smith topped Carolin Walter and Federica Suess in a tiebreak, 9-8 (5), to secure the point for the Tar Heels.

Rynarzewska's win at No. 5 singles quickly evened the score, but Carolina took the next two wins to go ahead 3-1. Marand, ranked No. 9 in the most recent ITA poll, dispatched No. 68 Lauren Macfarlane, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 1 singles before Tsang took care of No. 33 Rybakova, 6-4, 7-5, at No. 2.

That would prove to be the last win for Carolina, however, as the host Seminoles took the final three singles matches for the 4-3 win. After Jessica Wente and Federica Suess scored straight-set victories at No. 4 and No. 6, respectively, the match was left to No. 95 Smith and No. 100 Walter at No. 3 to decide it.

Walter took the first set, 6-3, before triumphing in a tiebreak, 7-6 (2), in the second set to secure the victory.

The Tar Heels will now travel to Coral Gables, Fla., to face No. 14 Miami on Sunday.

DOUBLES
1. #10 Marand/Grabinski (UNC) def. #53 Rynarzewska/Rybakova (FSU), 8-3
2. Smith/Tsang (UNC) def. Walter/Suess (FSU), 9-8 (5)
3. Wente/Macfarlane (FSU) def. Reichert/Jurewitz (UNC), 8-5
Order of finish: 1,3,2

SINGLES
1. #9 Sanaz Marand (UNC) def. #68 Lauren Macfarlane (FSU), 6-3, 6-3
2. #27 Katrina Tsang (UNC) def. #33 Katie Rybakova (FSU), 6-4, 7-5
3. #100 Carolin Walter (FSU) def. #95 Austin Smith (UNC), 6-3, 7-6 (2)
4. Jessica Wente (FSU) def. Laura Reichert (UNC), 6-4, 6-1
5. Ania Rynarzewska (FSU) def. Sophie Grabinski (UNC), 6-2, 6-1
6. Federica Suess (FSU) def. Meg Fanjoy (UNC), 6-4, 6-1
Order of finish: 5,1,2,4,6,3