May 13, 2007
BERKELEY, Calif. - The 2007 ASU Women's Tennis team's season came to a close Sunday in Berkeley after a hard-fought match against Cal ended in a 4-2 decision in favor of the Golden Bears. The Sun Devils went 13-10 overall on the season as Cal advances to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen.
In doubles action, the Sun Devils fell early as Cal's Nina Henkel and Stephanie Kusano made quick work of Sabrina Capannolo and Jessica Leitch with an 8-1 decision. The Devils fought back though, but the effort wasn't enough as the fifth-ranked doubles duo of Susie Babos and Zsuzsanna Fodor just barely edged the 18th-ranked Devil duo of Kady Pooler and Roxanne Clarke 9-8 to take the point.
In singles, Cal brought in the first two points to put them within one of clinching the match as #12 Zsuzsanna Fodor beat Nadia Abdala 6-2, 6-2 in the two spot and defending NCAA Singles Champion, # 4 Susie Babos defeated Sabrina Capannolo 6-4, 6-1 in the one spot.
The Sun Devils weren't done yet though as Kady Pooler grabbed a decisive 6-0, 6-4 win over #89 Stephanie Kusano in the four spot to put ASU on the board. Laila Abdala came in next with a straight sets win over Claire Ilcinkas in the six spot.
The deciding point came in the three spot as Roxanne Clarke squared off against #22 Nina Henkel. Clarke took the first set from the Bear 6-3 before Henkel turned around and took the next 6-1 to push it to three sets. The Bear was too much for Clarke though as Henkel fired off a 6-3 win to clinch the match and advance the Bears.
The 2007 ASU team season concludes with the loss, but their individual season does not as Nadia Abdala was invited to compete in the Singles Championship and Kady Pooler and Roxanne Clarke were invited to compete in the Doubles Championship, which will commence in Atlanta, Georgia once the NCAA Team Championship has concluded.
Results from No. 18 ASU vs. No. 10 Cal (NCAA Regionals - Second Round)
Doubles:
1. # 5 Susie Babos/Zsuzsanna Fodor (Cal) def. Kady Pooler/Roxanne
Clarke(ASU), 9-8
2. Nina Henkel/Stephanie Kusano (Cal) def. Sabrina Capannolo/Jessica
Leitch (ASU) 8-1
3. Claire Ilcinkas/Bojana Bobusic (Cal) vs. Rebecca Rankin/Laila
Abdala(ASU), susp.
Order of Finish: 2, 1
Singles:
1. # 4 Susie Babos (Cal) def. Sabrina Capannolo (ASU) 6-4, 6-1
2. #12 Zsuzsanna Fodor (Cal) def. Nadia Abdala (ASU) 6-2, 6-2
3. #22 Nina Henkel (Cal) def. Roxanne Clarke (ASU) 3-6, 6-1, 6-3
4. Kady Pooler(ASU) def. #89 Stephanie Kusano (Cal) 6-0, 6-4
5. #97 Cristina Visico (Cal) vs. Rebecca Rankin(ASU) susp.
6. Laila Abdala(ASU) def. Claire Ilcinkas (Cal) 6-3, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 4, 6, 3