Cruz Defeats No. 8 Player in the Nation; Jackets Fall to Georgia, 6-1

THE FLATS – Alejandra Cruz improved to 3-0 in singles matches this spring with a victory over No. 8 Aysegul Mert as Georgia Tech women’s tennis fell 6-1 to No. 1 Georgia Friday inside the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. 

Cruz captured the victory in a 6-4, 7-5 decision. It marks her second singles victory in as many matches over a top four team in the nation. 

In doubles competition, Olivia Carneiro and Taly Licht fell to UGA’s Patricija Paukstyte and Anastasiia Lopata, 6-2, followed by another 6-2 decision for Anastasiia Gureva and Emma Dong over Tech’s Given Roach and Eleni Karantali. Georgia clinched the doubles point before Seri Nayuki and Cruz’s doubles match against Deniz Dilek and Aysegul Mert was completed, 4-3.  

The road team secured the match victory with No. 61 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) over Taly Licht (GT) 6-0, 6-4, No. 25 Anastasiia Gureva (UGA) over Given Roach 7-5, 6-3, No. 15 Deniz Dilek (UGA) over Olivia Carneiro (GT) 6-2, 6-2, No. 50 Sofia Rojas (UGA) over Seri Nayuki (GT) 6-4, 6-0 and Emma Dong (UGA) over Sabritt Dozier (GT) 6-3, 6-2. 

Doubles 

1. Deniz Dilek/Aysegul Mert (UGA) vs. Seri Nayuki/Alejandra Cruz (GT) 4-3 

1. Patricija Paukstyte/Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. Olivia Carneiro/Taly Licht (GT) 6-2 

1. Anastasiia Gureva/Emma Dong (UGA) def. Given Roach/Eleni Karantali (GT) 6-2 

Order of finish: 2,3 

Singles 

1. Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. No. 8 Aysegul Mert (UGA) 6-4, 7-5 

1. No. 61 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. Taly Licht (GT) 6-0, 6-4 

1. No. 25 Anastasiia Gureva (UGA) def. Given Roach (GT) 7-5, 6-3 

1. No. 15 Deniz Dilek (UGA) def. Olivia Carneiro (GT) 6-2, 6-2 

1. No. 50 Sofia Rojas (UGA) def. Seri Nayuki (GT) 6-4, 6-0 

1. Emma Dong (UGA) def. Sabritt Dozier (GT) 6-3, 6-2 

Order of finish: 4,5,2,6,3,1 

Tech returns to the court Sunday, Feb. 1 for a doubleheader against Chattanooga and Jacksonville State at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. First serve against the Mocs is set for 1 p.m., with the match against JSU following at 4 p.m. 

Full Steam Ahead 

Full Steam Ahead is a $500 million fundraising initiative to achieve Georgia Tech athletics’ goal of competing for championships at the highest level in the next era of intercollegiate athletics. The initiative will fund transformative projects for Tech athletics, including renovations of Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field (the historic home of Georgia Tech football), the Zelnak Basketball Center (the practice and training facility for Tech basketball) and O’Keefe Gymnasium (the venerable home of Yellow Jackets volleyball), as well as additional projects and initiatives to further advance Georgia Tech athletics through program wide-operational support. All members of the Georgia Tech community are invited to visit atfund.org/FullSteamAhead for full details and renderings of the renovation projects, as well as to learn about opportunities to contribute online. 

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