With a spot in the ACC final on the line, No. 4 seed Virginia women’s tennis delivered a composed performance to take down No. 1 seed Duke 4-2 in the semifinals of the ACC Championship Saturday morning at Cary Tennis Park in Cary, N.C.
Freshman Martina Genis Salas secured the victory for the seventh-ranked Cavaliers (20-4, 10-2 ACC) at Line 4, booking a return to the final for the second consecutive year and setting up a highly anticipated showdown with No. 2 seed North Carolina Sunday at 10 a.m.
From the outset, Virginia looked sharp and focused. In doubles, seniors Elaine Chervinsky and Melodie Collard — currently ranked No. 1 in the nation — made a statement at Line 1, overwhelming Duke’s No. 17-ranked duo of freshman Irina Balus and senior Elizabeth Coleman with a dominant 6-0 win.
Moments later, Genis Salas and junior Annabelle Xu clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 win at Line 2, giving the Cavaliers a 1-0 lead and a surge of early momentum.
The energy carried into singles play, where Chervinsky — ranked No. 33 in the country — delivered one of her most impressive performances of the season. She beat Balus for the second time that morning, cruising to a 6-0, 6-2 victory at Line 2. It was her highest-ranked singles win in a dual match and extended her win streak on the top two lines to 9-0.
After the fourth-ranked Blue Devils (21-3, 12-0 ACC) earned their first point with a win at Line 5, graduate student Sara Ziodato responded with a calm 6-2, 6-4 win at Line 1, pushing the Virginia lead to 3-1. Ziodato, the team’s highest-ranked singles player at No. 20, improved to 13-3 in dual matches and showcased the poise and consistency that have defined her season.
However, the Blue Devils refused to back down, pulling within one after a straight-set win at Line 3. Attention turned to Line 4, where Genis Salas was locked in a tight battle against sophomore Eleana Yu. After edging out a tense first-set tiebreak, Genis Salas broke through midway through the second and never looked back. The freshman sealed the match with a 7-6 (3), 6-3 victory — her sixth straight singles win in a completed match and the highest-ranked win of her career.
“I’m just incredibly proud of the grit and the determination that our team played with,” Coach Sara O’Leary said. “We talked a lot about being the team that was going to work the hardest, regardless of the score, and I thought we showed that from start to finish. Martina and Melodie played with so much courage at the end, and that’s exactly what it takes to win matches like this.”
With the win, Virginia improved to 20-4 overall and will compete for its third ACC title in program history. The Cavaliers won back-to-back championships in 2014 and 2015 and are aiming to reclaim the crown after finishing as runner-up to North Carolina last season. Virginia has already defeated the Tar Heels twice this year — both tightly contested battles — but Sunday’s final will be the biggest test yet.
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