Monday, March 10, 2003

No. 58 Florida State survives 4-3 over FIU

lorida State's Christina Denny defeated FIU's Desanka Jovanovic, 6-4, 1-6, 6-2, in No. 2 singles in a match that took some two-and-a-half hours to complete for the deciding point in a 4-3 victory by the No. 58 Seminoles at University Park.

FIU (3-9) took the early advantage, winning two-of-three doubles matches. At No. 1, Mei Ly and Bruna Discordia beat FSU's Daniela Gheorghe and Amberly Tantee, 8-5 and then Christine Suard and Jovanovic defeated Mihaela Moldovan and Beth Lawrence, 8-4, at No. 2 to claim the point.

The two sides split the first four completed singles matches and with wins at No. 3 by Discordia, 6-3, 6-2, over Gheorghe and at No. 6 by Courtney Jonson, 6-2, 6-3, over Brooke Cordell, the Golden Panthers clung to a 3-2 lead.

But FSU (10-4) tied the match when Alina Mihailescu came back at No. 5 and beat Davina Duronio, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1, setting the stage for the Denny/Jovanovic showdown.

With eight of nine losses on the season suffered against ranked opponents, the Golden Panthers host unranked Southern Illinois, Tuesday, 2:00 p.m. at the University Park courts.

Final: No. 58 Florida State 4, FIU 3 Miami, Fla. Doubles 1. Discordia/Ly (FIU) def. Gheorghe/Tantee (FSU) 8-5. 2. Suard/Jovanovic (FIU) def. Moldovan/Lawrence (FSU) 8-4. 3. Denny/Cordell (FSU) def. Duronio/Jonson (FIU) 8-4. Singles 1. Mihaela Moldovan (FSU) def. Mei Ly (FIU) 6-2, 7-5. 2. Christina Denny (FSU) def. Desanka Jovanovic (FIU) 6-4, 1-6, 6-3. 3. Bruna Discordia (FIU) def. Daniela Gheorghe (FSU) 7-5, 6-1. 4. Amberly Tantee (FSU) def. Christine Suard (FIU) 6-3, 7-5. 5. Alina Mihailescu (FSU) def. Davina Duronio (FIU) def. 5-7, 6-1, 6-1. 6. Courtney Jonson (FIU) def. Brooke Cordell (FSU) 6-2, 6-3.