COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS -Second-ranked Georgia saw its NCAA title dreams dashed by third-ranked Duke 5-2 in the semifinals of the NCAA Women’s Tennis Championships here Monday.

Duke (28-3) took a 1-0 lead by winning the doubles point and then picked up four singles en route to the victory. Georgia’s 16-match winning streak came to an end in the Final Four as the Bulldogs conclude the year with a 27-3 record. It was Georgia’s seventh appearance in the national semifinals and first since 2002.

In doubles, the No. 3 Blue Devil duo of Reka Zsilinszka and Ellah Nze posted an 8-3 win over Cameron Ellis and Naoko Ueshima. Then, the No. 2 team of Jessi Robinson and Mallory Cecil registered an 8-5 win over Monika Dancevic and Yvette Hyndman. Georgia’s No. 1 team of Chelsey Gullickson and Nadja Gilchrist jumped out to a 5-2 edge over Amanda Granson and Melissa Mang, but their match was halted at 6-6 after Duke clinched the point.

The Blue Devils maintained their advantage by winning the first set in four of the six singles matches. The exceptions came at No. 1 and No. 6, the two spots where the Bulldogs notched victories. At No. 6, Ellis continued her steady play, dispatching Robinson 6-3,6-1. Ellis finished the year 33-4 overall including 21-2 in dual matches. However, the Blue Devils then seized control of the match with wins at No. 4 and 5. Granson defeated Dancevic 6-3,6-2 to put Duke up 2-1. Then, the 122nd-ranked Mang handed Ueshima a rare loss at No. 5, a 6-2,6-2 decision for a 3-1 lead. It was just the second dual match loss for Ueshima this season as she ends the year with a 30-7 mark including 21-2 in dual matches.

The No. 1 match featured two of the nation’s top freshmen. Gullickson, ranked ninth nationally, kept the Bulldogs alive with an impressive 6-4,7-5 win over sixth-ranked Cecil. It was Gullickson’s 12th straight win. She will enter the NCAA Singles Championships Wednesday with a 39-9 record including 27 wins over ranked opponents.

Duke claimed their spot in the finals with wins at No. 2 and 3 as the matches ended within seconds of each other. The 37th-ranked Nze edged 55th-beat Hyndman 6-4,6-3 and then 30th-ranked Zsilinszka defeated 56th-ranked Gilchrist 6-4,6-2 to make it a 5-2 final.

“First of all, I want to congratulate Duke, they played a very good match, and we missed some opportunities especially in the doubles,” said Georgia coach Jeff Wallace. “After they won the doubles, they kept the momentum with how they started in the singles. Overall, I thought Chelsey (Gullickson) played a great match and picked up another big win. Also, Cameron (Ellis) is just a winner, and she got another win for us today. The rest of the matches were battles too. Duke just outplayed us today and was the better team.

“Still, I want to say that I’m proud of my team and that they accomplished a lot this season. They got back to the Final Four, they won the SEC and the SEC Tournament and we got to the finals of the National Team Indoors. It’s been a great year, we just came up a little short of our goal here at the NCAA Tournament.”

Georgia will have three entries in the NCAA singles field in Gullickson, Hyndman and Gilchrist. Also, the Gullickson/Gilchrist duo will be in the NCAA doubles field too. Play in the individual events begins Wednesday.

NCAA Tournament Semifinals: #2 Georgia vs. #3 Duke
Doubles
1. #6 Nadja Gilchrist/Chelsey Gullickson (UGA) vs. #22 Amanda Granson/Melissa Mang (DU) 6-6 susp.
2. #53 Jessi Robinson/Mallory Cecil (DU) def. Monika Dancevic/Yvette Hyndman (UGA) 8-5
3. Reka Zsilinszka/Ellah Nze (DU) def. Cameron Ellis/Naoko Ueshima (UGA) 8-3
Singles
1. #9 Chelsey Gullickson (UGA) def. #6 Mallory Cecil (DU) 6-4,7-5
2. #37 Ellah Nze (DU) def. #55 Yvette Hyndman (UGA) 6-4,6-3
3. #30 Reka Zsilinszka (DU) def. #56 Nadja Gilchrist (DU) 6-4,6-2
4. #91 Amanda Granson (DU) def. #93 Monika Dancevic (UGA) 6-3,6-2
5. #122 Melissa Mang (DU) def. Naoko Ueshima (UGA) 6-2,6-2
6. Cameron Ellis (UGA) def. Jessi Robinson (DU) 6-3,6-1
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (6,4,5,1,2,3)
#2 Georgia 27-3; #3 Duke 28-3

- Georgia Sports Communications