THE FLATS – No. 37 Georgia Tech got back to winning ways on Friday afternoon, sweeping Virginia Tech, 7-0 to improve to 7-8 overall and 4-4 in league play.
DOUBLES ACTION: Georgia Tech made quick work winning the doubles point, dropping only one game between courts one and three to seal the 1-0 lead. Nami Otsuka and Gia Cohen controlled their match on court one from the first point, sweeping Elizabet Danailova and Natalie Novotna, 6-0. The Yellow Jackets clinched the doubles point from court three where Victoria Flores and Nadia Gizdova topped Samantha Gillas and Sarah Baron, 6-1, to hand Georgia Tech the early match lead.
SINGLES ACTION: Tech dominated singles play, clinching the match with three straight-set wins. Cohen cushioned the Jackets’ lead in fashion, dropping only one game in a 6-1, 6-0 victory over Gillas on court four before Gizdova put the Jackets on the edge of victory with a 6-2, 6-1 win over Shene Disbergen on court six. Otsuka clinched the match for Tech from court two where she picked up a 6-2, 6-2 decision over Nika Kozar for the 4-0 victory for Georgia Tech.
Jones, ranked No. 12 in the latest ITA national rankings, put GT up 5-0 from court one. The junior stood tied at 3-3 against Novotna in the first set and pocketed the next three games to take the opening set, 6-3. Jones carried momentum into the second set, winning 6-2 for the point.
Tech completed the sweep winning the final two courts in super tiebreaks. Flores split sets on court five over Nina Sorkin, 6-4, 3-6, and gained a dominating lead in the tiebreak, 9-4. Sorkin won the next three games before Flores closed out the match, 10-7. After winning the first set on court three, 6-1, Deminova rallied in the second set after trailing 5-1 to knot the set at 5-5, but Danailova picked up the set, 7-5. Danailova fought off two match points in the tiebreak before Deminova sealed the win, 13-11, to complete the 7-0 sweep for Georgia Tech.
QUOTABLE: “Obviously we are glad to be back home. We played really well at number one and number three doubles. Gia [Cohen] and Nami [Otsuka] and Nadia [Gizdova] and Vicky [Flores] played very well in doubles. And in singles, I was really happy with the way Nami, Gia and Nadia played today. I thought they played extremely well. We’re just glad to be back home and looking forward to playing Boston College on Sunday.” – Head coach Rodney Harmon
UP NEXT: Georgia Tech returns to the courts for a Sunday matinee, hosting Boston College at noon at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
RESULTS
Doubles
1-Nami Otsuka/Gia Cohen (GT) def. Elizabet Danailova/Natalie Novotna (VT) 6-0
2-Kenya Jones/Valeriya Deminova (GT) vs. Nika Kozar/Nina Sorkin (VT) 2-5, DNF
3-Victoria Flores/Nadia Gizdova (GT) vs. Samantha Giles/Sarah Baron (VT) 6-1
Order of finish: 1,3
Singles
1- No. 12 Kenya Jones (GT) def. Natalie Novotna (VT) 6-3, 6-2
2-Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Nika Kozar (VT) 6-2, 6-2
3-Valeriya Deminova (GT) def. Elizabet Danailova (VT) 6-1, 5-7, 1-0 (13-11)
4-Gia Cohen (GT) def. Samantha Gillas (VT) 6-1, 6-0
5-Victoria Flores (GT) def. Nina Sorkin (VT) 6-4, 3-6, 1-0 (10-7)
6-Nadia Gizdova (GT) def. Shene Disbergen (VT) 6-2, 6-1
Order of finish: 4,6,2,1,5,3
For the latest information on the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, follow us on Twitter (@GT_WTEN), Instagram (GT_WTEN), Facebook (Georgia Tech Women’s Tennis) or visit us at www.ramblinwreck.com
