ANN ARBOR, Mich. – No. 20 Georgia Tech women’s tennis got the spring slate started on Friday with the opening day of the Michigan Invitational. The three-day tournament features no team scoring with everyone competing individually in doubles and singles.
The Yellow Jackets opened action with the afternoon session, beginning with doubles play. Given Roach and Scarlett Nicholson, who made her Georgia Tech debut, walked away with a 6-1 triumph over Georgia’s Anastasiia Lopata and Mell Reasco. Meanwhile, Kylie Bilchev and Alejandra Cruz took Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn to the wire, but dropped a hard-fought, 7-5, decision to the Bulldogs.
Tech played its first round of singles following doubles play, taking on host and No. 5 Michigan, pushing the Wolverines to four three-set matches. Kate Sharabura won the last singles match to finish, winning a battle against Bayley Sheinin. After dropping the first set, Sharabura grabbed a 4-3 lead in the second set and held for a 7-5 set win to force a deciding finisher. Sharabura pocketed the win, 4-6, 7-5, 6-4.
Also forcing a three-set match, Mahak Jain rebounded from dropping the first set to No. 94 Gala Mesochoritou to take a 5-0 lead in the second set. Jain would take the second set, 6-4, but Mesochoritou finished the match winning the third set, 6-2.
Facing a top-10 opponent in No. 10 Kari Miller, Carol Lee challenged the Wolverine, but ultimately dropped the match in three sets. Miller took the first set, 6-2, but Lee refocused in the second, jumping out with a 4-1 advantage. The Jacket grabbed the set, 6-2, but couldn’t pull out the win, falling in the third set, 6-3.
In singles action, Roach looked to go undefeated, pushing Jaedan Brown to three sets, but couldn’t hold on. It was a back-and-forth battle in the opening set that resulted in an extended tiebreaker that Roach pulled out, 10-8. But Brown dropped only one game in the final two sets to take the match, 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-0.
The Michigan Invitational continues tomorrow with doubles action beginning at 10 a.m. and singles action following.
RESULTS
Doubles
Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (Georgia) def. Kylie Bilchev/Alejandra Cruz (Georgia Tech) 7-5
No. 58 Aysegul Mert/Dasha Vidamova (Georgia) def. Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (Georgia Tech) 6-1
Given Roach/Scarlett Nicholson (Georgia Tech) def. Anastasiia Lopata/Mell Reasco (Georgia) 6-1
Singles
Piper Charney (Michigan) def. Meera Jesudason (Georgia Tech) 6-4, 6-4
No. 94 Gala Mesochoritou (Michigan) def. Mahak Jain (Georgia Tech) 7-5, 4-6, 6-2
No. 10 Kari Miller (Michigan) def. No. 107 Carol Lee (Georgia Tech) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
No. 47 Lily Jones (Michigan) def. Scarlett Nicholson (Georgia Tech) 6-1, 6-4
Reese Miller (Michigan) def. Ruth Marsh (Georgia Tech) 6-3, 6-2
Jaedan Brown (Michigan) def. Given Roach (Georgia Tech) 6-7 (8), 6-1, 6-0
No. 39 Julia Fliegner (Michigan) def. No. 123 Kylie Bilchev (Georgia Tech) 6-1, 6-2
Kate Sharabura (Georgia Tech) def. Bayley Sheinin (Michigan) 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and 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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