DURHAM, N.C.– Georgia Tech women’s tennis pushed No. 10 Duke to the limit, but fell in a battle, 5-2, on Friday night at the Ambler Tennis Stadium. The Yellow Jackets saw a doubles win and singles victories from Carol Lee and Ava Hrastar.
DOUBLES
In a competitive fight for the doubles point, Duke (14-3, 9-2 ACC) and Georgia Tech (12-7, 7-3 ACC) split the first two doubles matches to leave the point to be decided on court three. Court two wrapped up first as the Blue Devils took the advantage with a 6-3 win. Tech’s Ava Hrastar and Kylie Bilchev opened with a 2-1 lead over Ellie Coleman and Chloe Beck, but Duke won the next three games to take a 4-2 edge. Coleman and Beck took the decision, 6-3, before Tech evened the field from court one.
Facing Georgia Drummy and Karolina Berankova on court one, Tech’s Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura were on serve at 2-all. The Jackets went up a break at 4-2 and extended their lead to 5-2 winning the next game. Lee served out the match for a 6-3 win, leaving the doubles point to be decided on court three.
As all eyes turned to the last court, where Gia Cohen and Ruth Marsh held a 3-1 lead over Eliza Omirou and Margaryta Bilokin. The lead was short-lived, however, as the Blue Devils won five of the next six games to pocket the match, 6-4, and clinch the doubles point for Duke.
SINGLES
Bilokin took the first singles match to finish, capturing court five, defeating Cohen, 6-2, 6-1. Duke’s lead was extended when Chen won a three-set battle against Mahak Jain. After Jain rolled in the first set, 6-0, Chen forced a final set, winning the second, 6-3. The opponents stood on serve at 3-3 in the third set before Chen took a 5-3 lead. Jain fought off match point to setup a 5-4 tally, but Chen solidified the match, 6-4, to give Duke a 3-0 lead.
Lee put the Yellow Jackets on the scoreboard, dominating court one. Facing Duke’s No. 19 Drummy, Lee battled in the opener to take a set lead over the Blue Devil. Knotted at 3-3, Lee would hold a 6-5 edge, but Drummy forced a tiebreak at 6-all. The Jacket proved victorious in the marathon tiebreak, 11-9, to hold a set advantage entering the second set where she opened with a 4-2 lead. Lee pushed her lead out to 5-3 and sealed the win, 6-3, to setup a 3-1 match score.
But Duke clinched the match from the six position where Coleman took a three-set decision over Rosie Garcia Gross. Coleman won the first set, 7-5, but Garcia Gross rolled in the second, 6-3, to force a deciding third set. Coleman held strong, winning, 6-1, to clinch the match for Duke.
Hrastar added a point to the board for the Jackets, taking court three in a hard-fought, three-set battle against Emma Jackson. Trailing 4-3 in the first set, Hrastar forced a tiebreak at 6-all and won the breaker, 7-1. But Jackson evened the match, taking the second set, 6-4. Hrastar would come out in the third set with the immediate lead, 4-2, and pushed her advantage out to 5-4. She sealed the win in the third, 6-4, for a 4-2 match score.
Play concluded on court two as Bilchev pushed Beck to the brink, but couldn’t hold on, falling 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1, for the final 5-2 score.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech plays its final regular season road match on Sunday, visiting No. 1 North Carolina. First serve at the Chapel Hill Tennis Club is slated for 1 p.m.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. No. 6 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. No. 43 Georgia Drummy/Karolina Berankova (Duke) 6-3
2. Ellie Coleman/Chloe Beck (Duke) def. No. 27 Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) 6-3
3. Eliza Omirou/Margaryta Bilokin (Duke) def. Gia Cohen/Ruth Marsh (GT) 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3
SINGLES
1. No. 60 Carol Lee (GT) def. No. 19 Georgia Drummy (Duke) 7-6 (11-9), 6-3
2. No. 9 Chloe Beck (Duke) def. No. 85 Kylie Bilchev (GT) 3-6, 7-6 (7-3), 6-1
3. Ava Hrastar (GT) def. No. 99 Emma Jackson (Duke) 7-6 (7-1), 4-6, 6-4
4. No. 123 Kelly Chen (Duke) def. Mahak Jain (GT) 0-6, 6-3, 6-4
5. Margaryta Bilokin (Duke) def. Gia Cohen (GT) 6-2, 6-1
6. Ellie Coleman (Duke) def. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 7-5, 3-6, 6-1
Order of finish: 5,4,1,6,3,2
