THE FLATS – No. 20 Georgia Tech dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker Friday night after facing an hour-and-a-half rain delay against No. 33 Florida State. The Yellow Jackets split the singles matches, but the Seminoles won the early doubles point to secure the win. The loss moved Tech to 12-8 overall and 6-6 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
DOUBLES
Florida State gained the early match lead, rallying back on court three to take the doubles point. The Seminoles took the first match to finish on court two. Monika Dedaj and Kate Sharabura stood knotted at 4-all with Mille Bissett and Anna Arkadianou, but the Seminoles won the next two games to take the match, 6-4. Within minutes, Georgia Tech evened the doubles field, winning on court one. Tech’s nationally ranked duo of Kylie Bilchev and Alejandra Cruz were on serve with Vic Allen and Ellie Schoppe 3-3, before grabbing a 5-3 lead. The Jackets pocketed a 6-4 victory as all eyes turned to court three for the deciding match.
Competing on court three, Carol Lee and Rosie Garcia Gross held a 5-2 lead over Olympe Lancelot and Kianah Motosono. But FSU chipped away at its deficit and won five straight games to clinch the doubles point with a 7-5 decision.
SINGLES
Georgia Tech won the first two singles matches to gain a 2-1 lead. Lee wrapped up first, cruising on court one against Allen, 6-1, 6-4. The Jackets gained their first lead when Cruz secured court three against Schoppe. After winning the first set, 6-2, Cruz maintained control and won four consecutive games in the second set to take the match, 6-2, 6-2.
Florida State quickly knotted the match at 2-apiece, winning on court two, 6-2, 6-2, and regained the lead with a victory on court five. Garcia Gross erased an early deficit in the first set, climbing back to 3-3, but Bissett took the opener, 6-3. The opponents were tied at 5-all in the second set before Bissett won the next two games to take the match, 6-3, 7-5, to give the Seminoles a 3-2 match lead.
But the lead was short-lived as Mahak Jain closed out a straight-set victory on court four over Kristyna Lavickova. After pocketing the first set, 6-3, Jain and Lavickova went back-and-forth in the second set to a 5-5 standstill and traded the next two games to force a tiebreak. Jain dominated the tiebreak, jumping out with a 3-1 lead. She extended her advantage to 5-1 and took the breaker, 7-3, to tie the match at 3-3.
Finishing under the lights Friday night, the deciding match came down to court six where Sharabura faced Alice Amendola. The Jacket quickly took the first set, 6-2, to gain the early advantage and was tied at 4-all in the second set before Amendola claimed the next two games to split sets. Amendola came out with a 3-1 lead in the third set and extended her advantage to 5-1. The Seminole clinched the match 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, to seal the 4-3 win for Florida State.
Georgia Tech concludes regular season action on Sunday, welcoming No. 13 Miami to the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. First serve is slated for 11 a.m.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. No. 79 Kylie Bilchev/Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. Vi Allen/Ellie Schoppe (FSU) 6-4
2. Millie Bissett/Anna Arkadianou (FSU) def. Monika Dedaj/Kate Sharabura (GT) 6-4
3. Olympe Lancelot/Kianah Motosono (FSU) def. Carol Lee/Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 7-5*
Order of finish: 2,1,3*
*Clinched the doubles point
SINGLES
1. No. 12 Carol Lee (GT) def. No. 76 Vic Allen (FSU) 6-1, 6-41
2. No. 83 Anna Arkadianou (FSU) def. No. 24 Kylie Bilchev (GT) 6-2, 6-2
3. No. 108 Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. No. 118 Ellie Schoppe (FSU) 6-2, 6-2
4. No. 80 Mahak Jain (GT) def. Kristyna Lavickova (FSU) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
5. Mille Bissett (FSU) def. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 6-3, 7-5
6. Alice Amendola (FSU) def. Kate Sharabura (GT) 2-6, 6-4, 6-2^
Order of finish: 1,3,2,5,4,6^
^Clinched the overall match
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