ROME, Ga. – In over a four-hour battle, Georgia Tech women’s tennis took the doubles point and pushed Miami to the final point on the last court, but could not close, falling 4-3 in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
DOUBLES
With two victories in doubles play, Georgia Tech took a 1-0 match lead. The duo of Ruth Marsh and Gia Cohen opened with a 4-1 lead over Isabella Pfenning and Audrey Boch-Collins. They notched the victory, 6-2, to give the Jackets the edge in doubles play. The point was clinched on the top court as Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura faced Eden Richardson and Daevenia Achong. Miami led 3-2 in the early going, but the Jackets won the next two games to grab a 4-3 advantage. Lee and Sharabura clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 decision.
SINGLES
It was a back-and-forth battle in singles play with it all coming down to a tiebreak in the final match. The Hurricanes grabbed the first two matches to finish to gain a 2-1 lead, but Lee evened the match back at 2-apiece with a triumph on court one. Facing Richardson, Lee cruised in the first set, 6-0, and led 5-3 in the second before Richardson took the next game for a 5-4 tally. Lee served out the win, 6-0, 6-4, setting up a 2-2 match score.
The next two matches to conclude finished within seconds of each other with Miami taking court two and Georgia Tech grabbing court four. On court two, Bilchev earned the first set against Achong, 6-4, but the Hurricane dominated the second set, 6-1. Bilchev opened the deciding set with a 4-3 lead, but Achong won the next three games to seal the win, 6-4.
Seconds later Mahak Jain knotted it back at 3-3 with a three-set win over Maya Tahan on court four. After battling to a 7-5 first set decision, Jain dropped the second set, 6-2. She led 4-2 in the third set and broke Tahan to take a 5-3 lead. Jain pocketed the victory, 6-3, leaving the decision on court six.
Winning a hard-fought first set against Tatyana Nikolenko, 7-5, Sharabura led 5-2 in the second set before the Hurricane rallied back to force a tiebreak at 6-all. On serve at 5-all in the tiebreak, Miami won the next two games to force a deciding third set, 7-6 (7-5).
Sharabura looked in control in the final set, taking a 4-1 lead and extending her advantage to 5-3. The freshman held two match points, but Nikolenko fought to even the set at 5-all. After trading the next two games, Sharabura and Nikolenko went into a tiebreak to decide the victor. Sharabura opened with a 4-2 advantage in the breaker, but Nikolenko rallied back to 4-4. The Hurricane would win three of the next four points to seal the come-from-behind victory for Miami, 7-6 (7-5).
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. No. 5 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. No. 19 Eden Richardson/Daevenia Achong (MIA) 6-4
2. No. 44 Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) vs. Maya Tahan/Tatyana Nikolenko (MIA) 3-4, DNF
3. Gia Cohen/Ruth Marsh (GT) def. Isabella Pfenning/Audrey Boch-Collins (MIA) 6-2
Order of finish: 3,1
SINGLES
1. No. 30 Carol Lee (GT) def. No. 51 Eden Richardson (MIA) 6-0, 6-4
2. No. 32 Daevenia Achong (MIA) def. No. 81 Kylie Bilchev (GT) 4-6, 6-1, 6-4
3. No. 80 Isabella Pfenning (MIA) def. Ava Hrastar (GT) 6-3, 6-3
4. Mahak Jain (GT) def. Maya Tahan (MIA) 7-5, 2-6, 6-3
5. Audrey Boch-Collins (MIA) def. Gia Cohen (GT) 6-0, 6-4
6. Tatyana Nikoenko (MIA) def. Kate Sharabura (GT) 5-7, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (5)
Order of finish: 3, 5, 1, 2, 4, 6
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