Salas defeats teammate Connelly to win title
By MARK ZAVODNYIK
Sports Writer
Despite a silence that filled the air at the Eck Tennis Pavilion, Notre Dame's Alicia Salas prevailed to win the singles championship of the Eck Classic.
The reason for the lack of cheering was that Salas faced freshman teammate Lauren Connelly in the championship match. Salas managed to overcome the tension and earned a tough 6-4, 6-1 victory to clinch the Blue Flight Championship. Salas said that she was excited about the victory, but it felt strange to be playing a teammate.
"I didn't like it at all," Salas said.
Salas used confidence gained over the first two rounds of the tournament to vault her into the championship match, a formula that she has used throughout the fall season. Salas was particularly happy with her aggressive play, good ground strokes and lack of mental mistakes.
In the championship match, Salas met her toughest competition of the tournament in Connelly.
"She did a really good job," Salas said.
Connelly finished her first fall campaign with an 8-5 singles record, highlighted by two wins over top-70 opponents.
With the victory, Salas, the 86th ranked player in the country this fall, moved her fall singles record to 11-4.
"I think it was the best tennis I've played this fall," Salas said. "I was very confident playing at home."
The Eck Classic, a yearly event hosted by Notre Dame, saw this year's best performance by the Irish womens tennis team. The final tournament of the fall season, Notre Dame competed against Syracuse, Purdue, Indiana and Louisville.
Salas was not the only member of the Irish team to capture a singles title in the Eck Classic. Freshman Kelly Nelson captured her first collegiate tournament title with a dominating 6-0, 6-1 victory of Kristine Holte of Syracuse to clinch the Gold Flight singles title. Nelson is the first Notre Dame freshman to win a singles title in the Eck Classic since 1988.
"Being a freshman, I didn't have much experience, but I had nothing to lose," Nelson said.
Nelson posted impressive come-from-behind victories in the second and third rounds that set her on the path to the final.
Although only a freshman, Nelson led the Irish in singles this fall with a 12-5 record.
In doubles, the Irish duo of senior captain Katie Cunha and freshman Kristina Stastny reached the championship match before being ousted 8-6 by Lara Burgarell and Missy Wright of Purdue. Cunha and Stastny compiled a 5-2 record this fall.
Stastny was also productive in the Blue Flight of the singles draw where she advanced to the semifinals before losing to Connelly.
In Sunday's third-place match, Stastny defeated Sarah Batty of Indiana 6-4, 6-3. Stastny's singles record this fall was 7-5.
Sophomore Sarah Jane Connelly also had a successful weekend, winning the Blue Flight consolation title over Amy Walgenbach of Purdue 6-4, 6-2. Connelly has an 8-5 singles record with three losses to ranked players.
Notre Dame's Donohue sisters both played well in the singles Gold Flight consolation bracket on Sunday.
Senior Maggie Donohue lost a tough match tiebreaker to Trine Juliussen of Syracuse in 3-6, 6-1, 1-0, (10-6), while freshman Liz Donohue defeated We-Ming Leong of Syracuse 6-0, 6-1.
The Irish ended the fall portion of their season and will not compete again until Jan. 22.
Salas said the time off gives players a chance to work on and fix little things that cannot normally be addressed in practice.
All Sports Stories for Tuesday, November 12, 2002
