CORAL GABLES, Fla. – No. 47 Georgia Tech won a hard-fought doubles point at No. 15 Miami, but the Hurricanes rallied in singles play to capture a 4-3 win in the Atlantic Coast Conference opener for both teams Friday night.
DOUBLES
Georgia Tech (3-4, 0-1 ACC) won a tightly contested doubles point behind victories from courts one and two, where Tech’s pair of top-20 doubles teams competed. All eyes turned to the top two courts after Miami quickly grabbed a 6-0 win on court three. Competing on court one, Tech’s 16th-ranked doubles team of Kylie Bilchev and Ava Hrastar led 4-2 early against No. 40 Eden Richardson and Daevenia Achong. Tech pushed its advantage out to 5-2 before the Hurricanes claimed the next game for a 5-3 tally, but the Jackets sealed the win at 6-3, leaving the decision for the doubles point to be decided on court two.
The Jackets looked on track for a victory on court two as No. 18 Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura held a 4-2 lead over No. 38 Maya Tahan and Diana Khodan. But the Hurricanes rallied to 5-4 and held two game points, but Lee and Sharabura battled back to deuce point and clinched the doubles point with a 6-4 decision.
SINGLES
After dropping its first doubles point of the season, Miami quickly rebounded and took all six first sets to open singles play. The Hurricanes won the first three singles matches to finish, claiming a 3-1 lead. Khodan evened the match with a 6-2, 6-0 decision over Ruth Marsh on court six before Tahan handed Miami its first lead with a 7-6 (4), 6-2 win over Sharabura on court five. Pfenning cushioned Miami’s lead, collecting a straight set win on court three over Bilchev. Knotted at 3-all in the opening set, Pfenning claimed the next three games and the set. The second set mirrored the first as the opponents stood at a 3-3 standstill before Pfenning pocketed the set, 6-4.
Georgia Tech needed the three remaining singles courts to seal the victory and battled back on all three to force deciding third sets, but Miami clinched the match on court two. No. 67 Achong took the first set against Hrastar, 6-4, but the Jacket rolled to a 6-3 second set to force a third. Hrastar opened with a 2-0 lead in the final set, but Achong rallied back to 2-2 and they remained on serve at 4-all before Achong pocketed the next two games for the match, clinching the win at 4-1 for Miami.
The Yellow Jackets got on the scoreboard in singles play from the top position as No. 72 Lee showed determination against No. 81 Richardson. After dropping a tough first set, 6-4, Lee cruised in the second set, 6-1. She carried momentum into the third set, opening 2-1, and extended her lead to 4-1 before sealing her seventh dual win of the season with a 6-2 third set victory.
Mahak Jain rounded out singles play for the Jackets. Competing on court four, Jain fell in the first set to Audrey Boch-Collins, 6-2, but evened the match, winning the second set, 6-4. Much like Lee, Jain used her second set to fuel the third, racing out to a 5-0 lead, and closed the match, 6-0, to account for the final 4-3 score.
UP NEXT
Georgia Tech continues play in the Sunshine State at No. 44 Florida State on Sunday. First serve is slated for 12 p.m.
DOUBLES
1. No. 16 Kylie Bilchev/Ava Hrastar (GT) def. No. 40 Eden Richardson/Daevenia Achong (MIA) 6-3
2. No. 18 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. No. 38 Maya Tahan/Diana Khodan (MIA) 6-4
3. Isabella Pfenning/Audrey Boch-Collins (MIA) def. Gia Cohen/Ruth Marsh (MIA) 6-0
Order of finish: 3,1,2
SINGLES
1. No. 72 Carol Lee (GT) def. No. 81 Eden Richardson (MIA) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
2. No. 67 Daevenia Achong (MIA) def. Ava Hrastar (GT) 6-4, 3-6, 6-4
3. No. 85 Isabella Pfenning (MIA) def. No. 73 Kylie Bilchev (GT) 6-3, 6-4
4. Mahak Jain (GT) def. Audrey Boch-Collins (MIA) 2-6, 6-4, 6-0
5. Maya Tahan (MIA) def. Kate Sharabura (GT) 7-6 (4), 6-2
6. Diana Khodan (MIA) def. Ruth Marsh (GT) 6-2, 6-0
Order of finish: 6,5,3,2,1,4
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Support The Swarm Fund, which helps Georgia Tech athletics offset the significant financial challenges associated with Covid-19, and 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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