ATHENS, Ga. – Mahak Jain pocketed a straight-set win to put Georgia Tech on the scoreboard, but it wasn’t enough as the Yellow Jackets fell, 4-1, at No. 3 Georgia Sunday afternoon. The loss moved Tech to 5-2 on the season.
DOUBLES
Taking two doubles matches, Georgia grabbed the early match lead, 1-0. The Lady Bulldogs took court one as Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn topped Tech’s Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura, 6-1. The point was clinched from court three, where Monika Dedaj and Rosie Garcia Gross made a late rally against Anastasiia Lopata and Dasha Vidmanova, closing a 4-1 deficit to 5-3, but couldn’t hold off the Lady Bulldogs, falling, 6-3.
Play was suspended after the point was clinched despite Kylie Bilchev and Alejandra Cruz holding match point on court two against Mell Reasco and Meg Kowalski. The Jackets got down 2-0 early, but fought back, winning the next five games to take a 5-2 lead. The match was suspended at deuce point.
SINGLES
Georgia took the first two singles matches to cushion its lead to 3-0 before Tech got on the scoreboard. Reasco took court three against Cruz first to put Georgia up, 2-0. On serve at 2-all in the first set, Reasco would win the next four games to take the opener. But Cruz grabbed a 4-2 lead to start the second set before Reasco rallied back to take the set and match, 6-2, 6-4. Vidmanova maintained control on court two facing Bilchev. The Lady Bulldog jumped out with a 4-0 advantage in the first set and carried momentum to a 6-1, 6-3 decision to give Georgia a 3-0 match lead.
Finishing next, Jain scored Tech’s only match of the afternoon, downing Kowalski on court four, 6-4, 6-4. The opponents traded games back-and-forth to a 3-3 standstill in the first set before Jain won three of the next four to grab the opener, 6-4. Jain trailed in the second set, 4-3, but battled back to win three straight games to seal the win, 6-4, 6-4.
Tech’s rally was short-lived, however, as Georgia clinched the match from court five where Grant defeated Garcia Gross, 7-6 (3), 6-4. Garcia Gross took a 4-1 lead in the first set before Grant battled back to force a tiebreak at 6-all. Grant took a 5-2 lead in the tiebreak and sealed the early lead, winning the breaker, 7-3. Grant clinched the win for Georgia, taking the second set, 6-4, for a 4-1 match score.
Courts one and six went unfinished as play was suspended after Georgia clinched the victory. In a top 15 showdown on court one, Lee battled against Ma and held the edge, 4-6, 6-3, 2-1, while Nirundorn held a 7-6 (4), 5-2 lead over Dedaj on court six.
The Yellow Jackets open Atlantic Coast Conference play next weekend, traveling to Notre Dame on Friday, Feb. 24. First serve is slated for 3:30 p.m. in South Bend, Ind.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) def. Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) 6-1
2. Kylie Bilchev/Alejandra Cruz (GT) vs. Mell Reasco/Meg Kowalski (UGA) 5-2, DNF
3. Anastasiia Lopata/Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. Rosie Garcia Gross/Monika Dedaj (GT) 6-3*
Order of finish: 1,3*
*Clinched the doubles point
SINGLES
1.No. 7 Carol Lee (GT) vs. No. 11 Lea Ma (UGA) 4-6, 6-3, 2-1, DNF
2. No. 40 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. No. 47 Kylie Bilchev (GT) 6-1, 6-3
3. No. 39 Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Alejandra Cruz (GT) 6-2, 6-4
4. Mahak Jain (GT) def. Meg Kowalski (UGA) 6-4, 6-4
5. Guillermina Grant (UGA) def. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4^
6. Ruth Marsh (GT) vs. Mai Nirundorn (UGA) 6-7 (4-7), 2-5, DNF
Order of finish: 3,2,4,5^
^Clinched the overall match
Photos courtesy of Georgia Athletics/Tony Walsh
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