CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Duke women’s tennis tandem of Irina Balus and Eleana Yu both advanced to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Regional singles final on Sunday with a pair of victories at the Chewning Tennis Center in Chapel Hill. With the Blue Devils making the finals appearance, both received invitations to the NCAA Individual Singles Championship, which will take place Nov. 18-24 in Waco, Texas.
Balus, who hails from Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, opened the morning with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Sara Suchankova of UNC Charlotte. She then totaled a 6-4, 6-1 over her Duke teammate Shavit Kimchi to move on to the finals.
A native of Mason, Ohio, Yu kicked off the morning with a 6-1, 6-3 victory against 26th-ranked Carson Tanguilig of North Carolina. Yu then knocked off South Carolina’s Kaitlyn Carnicella, 6-4, 6-3.
In the finals, Balus was scheduled to play Yu, but the match was canceled since they both advanced to the NCAA Championship and are from the same team.
In other singles play, Duke senior Emma Jackson dropped a 6-4, 4-6, 1-6 decision to Carnicella.
The Blue Devil duo of Balus and Ellie Coleman continued their impressive run in doubles action with a 7-5, 6-3 win against Elon’s Helen Sarikulaya and Miray Konar to move on to the finals. Balus and Coleman are set to face Tanguilig and Susanna Maltby of North Carolina in the finals at 10 a.m., on Monday.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils women’s tennis, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching “https://goduke.com/news/2024/10/20/DukeWTEN”.
Duke Centennial
In 2024, Duke celebrates its Centennial, marking one hundred years since Trinity College became Duke University. Duke will use this historic milestone to deepen the understanding of its history, inspire pride and strengthen bonds and partnerships, and prepare for a second century of continued excellence and impactful leadership. To learn more, please visit 100.duke.edu
#GoDuke
The full schedule/results are below.
Sunday, October 20
Singles – Quarterfinals
Irina Balus (Duke) def. Sara Suchankova (UNC Charlotte) 6-1, 6-1
#38 Shavit Kimchi (Duke) def. Mia Slama (NC State) 6-4, 6-3
Kaitlyn Carnicella (South Carolina) def. #41 Emma Jackson (Duke) 4-6, 6-4, 6-1
#73 Eleana Yu (Duke) def. #26 Carson Tanguilig (North…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Duke University…