LAKE NONA, Fla. – On the opening day of main draw action at the ITA Southeast Regionals, Georgia Tech women’s tennis pocketed eight wins and witnessed Kylie Bilchev and Ava Hrastar secure round of 16 spots in both doubles and singles.
The first round of main draw action on Friday began with the round of 32 doubles with three teams representing the Yellow Jackets. Pairing together, Hrastar and Bilchev advanced to the round of 16 with an 8-3 victory over FAMU’s Aylen Hubeaut and Sierra Sandy. Tech dropped a pair of hard fought 8-4 decisions from Gia Cohen and Rosie Garcia Gross against Florida’s Alicia Dudeney and Sydney Berlin and Kate Sharabura and Carol Lee against UCF’s Anique Kattenberg and Jaleesa Leslie.
Two rounds of singles play followed with five Yellow Jackets advancing to the round of 32. Hrastar and Bilchev both proved victorious in first-round action as Hrastar downed Alexia Alvarez (GSU), 6-2, 6-2 and Bilchev faced FAU’s Millie-Mae Matthews who was forced to retire.
Hrastar and Bilchev will represent the Jackets in the sweet 16 on Saturday after pocketing their second singles matches of the afternoon. Hrastar challenged Miami’s Diana Khodan and took a straight-set win over the Hurricane, 6-3, 6-1, while Bilchev battled fellow Hurricane Eden Richardson into three sets. The freshman Jacket quickly took the first set, 6-2, but Richardson forced a deciding third winning the second set, 7-6 (4). Bilchev went up 5-0 in the third set before Richardson rallied back to force a tiebreak. Bilchev held strong, erasing a match point from Richardson, to secure a spot in the round of 16, winning the final set, 7-6 (6).
Mahak Jain captured her first-round match against Summer Yardley (UNF), 7-6 (3), 6-2, but fell to Petra Hule (FSU) in the round of 32 in a tight three-set battle, 2-6, 6-3, 7-5. Also splitting a pair of matches on Friday, Lee topped Sierra Berry (USF), 6-3, 6-2, before falling to Miami’s Daevenia Achong, 6-3, 6-3. Cohen was the fifth Jacket to advance to second round action. After rolling to a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Sierra Sandy (FAMU), Cohen fell in the round of 32 to Alicia Dudeney (UF), 6-2, 6-0.
Monika Dedaj, Rosie Garcia Gross and Sharabura also competed in the singles main draw, dropping their first round matches, but picking up wins in the consolation back draw in the afternoon.
Play resumes Saturday with the round of 16 singles matches and two rounds of doubles. For more information on the tournament, please click here.
DOUBLES
Round of 32
Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Aylen Hubeaut/Sierra Sandy (FAMU) 8-3
Alicia Dudeney/Sydney Berlin (UF) def. Gia Cohen/Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 8-4
Anique Kattenberg/Jaleesa Leslie (UCF) def. Kate Sharabura/Carol Lee (GT) 8-4
SINGLES
Round of 64
Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Millie-Mae Matthews (FAU) 2-0, ret.
No. 41 Carly Briggs (UF) def. Monika Dedaj (GT) 6-3, 6-3
Mahak Jain (GT) def. Summer Yardley (UNF) 7-6 (3), 6-2
No. 94 Gia Cohen (GT) def. Sierra Sandy (FAMU) 6-0, 6-2
Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Kate Sharabura (GT) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
No. 92 Carol Lee (GT) def. Sierra Berry (USF) 6-3, 6-2
No. 65 Ava Hrastar (GT) def. Alexia Alvarez (GSU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 16 Isabella Pfenning (MIA) def. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 6-1, 6-0
Round of 32
Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Eden Richardson (MIA) 6-2, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6)
No. 125 Petra Hule (FSU) def. Mahak Jain (GT) 2-6, 6-3, 7-5
Alicia Dudeney (UF) def. No. 94 Gia Cohen (GT) 6-2, 6-0
Daevenia Achong (MIA) def. No. 92 Carol Lee (GT) 6-3, 6-3
No. 65 Ava Hrastar (GT) def. Diana Khodan (MIA) 6-3, 6-1
Consolation
Rosie Gracia Gross (GT) def. Anna Arkadianou (FSU) 6-4, 7-5
Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Amber McGinnis (FAU) 6-2, 6-3
Monika Dedaj (GT) def. Dana Heimen (GSU) 2-6, 7-6 (5), 10-6
SATURDAY SCHEDULE
DOUBLES
Round of 16
Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) vs. Daevenia Achong/Eden Richardson (MIA)
SINGLES
Round of 16
No. 65 Ava Hrastar (GT) vs. No. 84 Emma Shelton (USC)
Kylie Bilchev (GT) vs. No. 15 Meg Kowalski (UGA)
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