THE FLATS – Georgia Tech women’s tennis cruised to a 7-0 victory over Virginia Tech on Friday afternoon at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex to open the final homestand of the regular season. The win pushed the Yellow Jackets to 13-8 overall and 8-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
DOUBLES
Georgia Tech grabbed a 1-0 match lead, winning a competitive doubles point with victories on the top two courts. The Hokies took the early advantage, cruising to a 6-2 decision on court three, but the Yellow Jackets responded on court two. Georgia Tech’s No. 34-ranked doubles team of Kylie Bilchev and Ava Hrastar went up a break at 4-3 over Katie Andreini and Annie Clark, and Bilchev held serve in the next game for a 5-3 advantage. The Jackets closed out the victory, 6-4, to leave the doubles point decision on court one.
Court one saw a battle between GT’s No. 5 Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura and VT’s Rita Pinto and Elizabet Danailova. The opponents traded games en route to setting up a 6-all standstill. The Hokies took an early 2-0 lead in the tiebreak, but the Jackets battled back. Both teams fought off a match point before Lee and Sharabura earned an 8-7 lead. Lee served out the winner, solidifying the 9-7 tiebreak victory, and 1-0 match lead.
SINGLES
The Yellow Jackets quickly took a 3-0 lead, winning a pair of straight-set singles victories on courts one and four. At the top court, Lee blanked Tamara Barad Itzaki in the first set, 6-0, and grabbed a 3-0 lead to open the second set. Lee pocketed the victory in the second, 6-2. Mahak Jain cushioned GT’s lead from court four, taking a straight-set decision over Erika Cheng. Knotted at 2-all in the first set, Jain took the next four games to claim the opener, 6-2. She rushed out with a 3-0 lead in the second and never looked back, winning, 6-2, to setup a 3-0 match lead for the Jackets.
Rosie Garcia Gross clinched the victory from court six, winning a battle against Charlotte Cartledge. Tied at 4-4 in the first set, the opponents forced a tiebreak for the set advantage. Garcia Gross provided victorious, 8-6, and went up 4-1 in the second set. The junior Yellow Jacket sealed the win, 6-2, for a 4-0 match score.
Seconds later Gia Cohen wrapped up on court five, taking a three-set decision over Semra Aksu. After trading the first two sets, Cohen and Aksu stood knotted at 4-all in the third set. Cohen captured the next two games to pocket the match, 6-2, 2-6, 6-4.
Hrastar extended Georgia Tech’s lead from court three where the Jacket upended Dariya Radulova in straight-sets. Hrastar gained momentum in the early going and took the opening set, 6-4. Radulova would battle in the second set, remaining on serve at 4-all. Hrastar took a 6-5 lead and claimed the match at 7-5 to setup a 6-0 Georgia Tech match lead.
In the last remaining singles match of the night, Bilchev dropped the first set against Danailova, 7-5, despite opening with a 5-2 lead. But the freshman Jacket battled in the second set, evening the match with a 7-5 triumph to force a super tiebreak. Bilchev took a 6-4 lead in the tiebreak, and held for the 10-5 victory to complete the sweep.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech closes out the regular season on Sunday, welcoming No. 8 Virginia to the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. Senior Gia Cohen will be recognized prior to first serve, which will be held at noon.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. No. 5 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Elizabet Danailova/Rita Pinto (VT) 7-6 (9-7)
2. No. 34 Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Katie Andreini/Annie Clark (VT) 6-4
3. Erika Cheng/Sabina Richtrova (VT) def. Gia Cohen/Ruth Marsh (GT) 6-2
Order of finish: 3,2,1
SINGLES
1. No. 32 Carol Lee (GT) def. Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) 6-0, 6-2
2. No. 79 Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Elizabet Danailova (VT) 5-7, 7-5, 10-5
3. Ava Hrastar (GT) def. Dariya Radulova (VT) 6-4, 7-5
4. Mahak Jain (GT) def. Erika Cheng (VT) 6-2, 6-2
5. Gia Cohen (GT) def. Semra Aksu (VT) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
6. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) def. Charlotte Cartledge (VT) 7-6 (8-6), 6-2
Order of finish: 1,4,6,5,3,2
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Annual Athletic Scholarship Fund, which directly provides scholarships for Georgia Tech student-athletes. To learn more about supporting the Yellow Jackets, visit atfund.org.
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