Virgina Upsets Women's Tennis

ORLANDO, Fla. -- It was completely silent Friday at Lake Cane Tennis Complex.

The ACC tournament quarterfinal womens tennis match between North Carolina and Virginia had been whittled down to two players -- Tar Heel Elina Bairos and Cavalier Laura James.

UNC, the No. 3 seed, remained speechless when Bairos lost and sixth-seeded Virginia had pulled off the upset 4-3.

The Tar Heels (15-6, 6-3 in the ACC) hadn't expected to stumble in the quarterfinals. UNC demolished the Cavaliers 6-1 in the regular season, with Virginia's only point coming when Tar Heel Kendrick Bunn forfeited because of shin splints.

"We might have taken them a bit too lightly," UNC sophomore and No. 1 seed Marlene Mejia said.

By the time all but one match was completed Friday, UNC was holding on by a thread, which translated into a high-pressure situation at the fifth seed for Bairos, a freshman.

Bairos and James exchanged sets 6-3, 3-6 to advance to a third set. The match was tied 3-3 and both teams postseason hopes hung in the balance.

Their teammates and coaches stood on the adjoining courts, watching intently and holding their breath.

"That match took 20 years off my life," UNC sophomore and No. 3 seed Kate Pinchbeck said. "My hands were shaking. I thought I was going to have a coronary."

With the score tied 5-5 in the third set, Bairos broke serve to position herself one game from victory. But James collected herself and broke serve after Bairos double faulted, and the match advanced into a tiebreaker.

Bairos and James continued to exchange points until they were tied 7-7. James pulled out the 9-7 win when Bairos hit two balls out.

James jumped into her jubilant Virginia teammates arms, while Bairos burst into tears.

"It's tough to play powerful tennis when you're nervous," UNC coach Roland Thornqvist said. "The other kid just played the points out -- that's all you have to do in a match like that."

Bairos' loss wasn't the first disappointment of the day, however. Virginia claimed the doubles point after UNC dropped matches at the No. 1 and No.3 seeds.

"That proved to be what did us in," Pinchbeck said. "We went in expecting to win the doubles point."

The early deficit didn't throw the Tar Heels off track completely. UNC recovered and won all three top singles seeds in straight sets to earn the Tar Heels a 3-1 advantage.

The wind proved to be as much as challenge for Mejia as her opponent, Amy ODonnell, was.

"The conditions weren't great with the wind blowing," Mejia said after she won 6-3, 6-0. "It was a little swirly, and I was frustrated with that, but I just tried to play my game."

The Cavaliers proved a bit more troublesome on the lower end of the seedings.

Virginia's Kelly Weaver beat Courney Zalinski at the sixth seed, despite Zalinski's attempt to come back in a tight second-set tiebreaker. Weaver won 6-2, 7-6(9-7).

Cavalier Jen Tuchband tied the overall match 3-3 after she defeated Kristin Koenig at the No. 4 seed.

North Carolina's hopes of advancing were dashed when James clinched the match for Virginia.

"We were totally the better team," Mejia said. "But when it came down to the crucial points, they pulled it off."

The postseason may not be over for UNC yet. The Tar Heels hope to earn an at-large bid to NCAA regionals.

"Right now we just have to shake Virginia's hands and move on," Thornqvist said. "We're a young team and were learning from these experiences."

 

The Sports Editor can be reached at sports@unc.edu.