STARKVILLE, Miss. – Georgia Tech women’s tennis opened its final fall tournament capturing 12 victories between two rounds of doubles and a round of singles play at the inaugural John Cade Invitational on the campus of Mississippi State.
Action started with doubles in the morning with Georgia Tech represented by four teams. Pairing together for their fourth tournament this fall, Ava Hrastar and Kylie Bilchev picked up their fifth and sixth wins of the season on Friday. The pair dropped only three games between two matches en route to a 6-1 triumph over Xavier’s Imani Graham and Anna Roggenburk, and a 6-2 decision in their second match against Louisville’s Chelsea Sawyer and Rhea Verma.
Also collecting a pair of victories, Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura proved victorious on the first day. The Jackets edged Sawyer and Verma of Louisville, 6-2, before downing Xavier’s Graham and Roggenburk by the same score.
Continuing Tech’s strong showing in doubles action, Monika Dedaj partnered with Mahak Jain for the first time this fall and pocketed two wins. Rolling to a pair of 6-0 decisions, Dedaj and Jain cruised to victory against Denver’s Andrea Beltran/Tatum Berger, and Louisville’s Sasha Gorchanyuk/Tatiana Simova.
Tech’s final doubles pair split a pair of matches on Friday as Rosie Garcia Gross and Sophia Sassoli collected a 6-2 victory against Dina Chaika and Tyra Richardson of Louisville, but fell in a hard-fought match against Xavier’s Blessing Nwaozuzu and Anna Smith, 7-5.
Play turned to singles action in the afternoon as the Jackets saw wins from five courts. Hrastar remained undefeated on the day, improving her fall record to 5-2 with a battle against Verma (LOU) in the maroon draw. The sophomore grabbed the first set against Verma, 6-2, but the Cardinal evened the match, taking the second set, 7-5. It all came down to the wire in the final set as Hrastar edged out a 7-5 decision to claim the win. Also competing in the maroon draw, Lee downed Graham (Xavier), 6-1, 6-2, to move to 5-1 on the season.
In the white draw, Bilchev picked up her sixth singles win of the fall, routing Taylor Melville of Denver, 6-3, 6-2. Meanwhile, Jain proved victorious in the grey draw to go undefeated on the day, pocketing a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Gorchanyuk of Louisville.
Garcia Gross rounded out Tech’s singles wins on day one, picking up a three-set victory over Alisha Reayer of Memphis. After splitting the first two sets, Garcia Gross sealed the win, claiming the third set, 6-2.
Tech will continue play in Starkville on Saturday with one round of doubles followed by two rounds of singles.
DOUBLES
Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Imani Graham/Anna Roggenburk (Xavier) 6-1
Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Chelsea Sawyer/Rhea Verma (Louisville) 6-2
Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Chelsea Sawyer/Rhea Verma (Louisville) 6-2
Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Imani Graham/Anna Roggenburk (Xavier) 6-2
Monika Dedaj/Mahak Jain (GT) def. Andrea Beltran/Tatum Burger (Denver) 6-0
Monika Dedaj/Mahak Jain (GT) def. Sasha Gorchanyuk/Tatiana Simova (Louisville) 6-0
Rosie Garcia Gross/Sophia Sassoli (GT) def. Dina Chaika/Tyra Richardson (Louisville) 6-2
Blessing Nwaozuzu/Anna Smith (XU) def. Rosie Garcia Gross/Sophia Sassoli (GT) 7-5
SINGLES
Maroon Draw
No. 65 Ava Hrastar (GT) def. Rhea Verma (Louisville) 6-2, 5-7, 7-5
No. 92 Carol Lee (GT) def. Imani Graham (Xavier) 6-1, 6-2
White Draw
Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Taylor Melville (DEN) 6-3, 6-2
Black Draw
Andrea Beltran (DEN) def. No. 94 Gia Cohen (GT) 6-4, 6-2
Grey Draw
Mahak Jain (GT) def. Sasha Gorchanyuk (Louisville) 6-2, 6-1
Tamara Racine (MSU) def. Monika Dedaj (GT) 6-2, 6-2
Silver Draw
Camille Verden-Anderson (DEN) def. Sophia Sassoli (GT) 7-5, 6-3
Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) def. Alisha Reayer (Memphis) 6-3, 5-7, 6-2
SATURDAY SCHEDULE OF PLAY
DOUBLES
Ava Hrastar/Kylie Bilchev (GT) vs. Emily Meyer/Alisha Reayer (Memphis)
Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) vs. Rachel Krzyzak/Sabina Machalova (Memphis)
Rosie Garcia Gross/Sophia Sassoli (GT) vs. Elysia Pool/Reka Zadori (Memphis)
Monika Dedaj/Mahak Jain (GT) vs. Magda Adaloglou/Chloe Cirotte (MSU)
SINGLES
Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) vs. Blessing Nwazuzu (Xavier)
Kate Sharabura (GT) vs. Dolavee Tumthong (Memphis)
Monika Dedaj (GT) vs. Emily Meyer (Memphis)
Gia Cohen (GT) vs. Dina Chaika (UL)
Sophia Sassoli (GT) vs. Natalie Moyer (XU)
No. 65 Ava Hrastar (GT) vs. Emmanouela Antonaki (MSU)
Kylie Bilchev (GT) vs. Anaelle Leclercq-Ficher (Ole Miss)
No. 92 Carol Lee (GT) vs. Camila Romero (Memphis)
Mahak Jain (GT) vs. Monique Woog (Memphis)
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