BLACKSBURG, Va. – Kylie Bilchev made a remarkable comeback in a third-set tiebreak to clinch a 4-3 victory for No. 20 Georgia Tech on Sunday at Virginia Tech. The Yellow Jackets won the doubles point and three singles matches to improve to 11-7 overall and 5-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
DOUBLES
Georgia Tech got an early lead in the match, claiming the doubles point with victories on courts two and three. Carol Lee and Rosie Garcia Gross gave the Yellow Jackets the edge, pocketing a 6-3 triumph on court three over Semra Aksu and Tamara Barad Itzhaki. After trading the first two games, GT broke open a 5-1 lead before sealing the win, 6-3. The doubles point was clinched on court two where Monika Dedaj and Kate Sharabura defeated Erika Cheng and Özlem Uslu by the same score. The Jackets pushed a 2-0 lead out to 4-2 and never looked back, taking home a 6-3 win to give Georgia Tech a 1-0 match lead.
SINGLES
The Hokies and Yellow Jackets exchanged the first two singles matches to leave Georgia Tech with a 2-1 match lead. Virginia Tech took court four in straight sets before Alejandra Cruz topped Dariya Radulova to put GT back on top, 2-1. Cruz rolled in the first set, 6-1, but Radulova took a tight second set, 6-4, to force a deciding third set. Cruz did not drop a game in the final set, 6-0, to take the match, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0. But Virginia Tech tied the score for a second time at 2-all when Katie Andreini rallied for a 3-6, 7-5, 7-5 win over Sharabura on court six.
With three matches still left playing, Georgia Tech needed two to clinch the match. Garcia Gross returned the lead to Georgia Tech for the final time, winning a three-set battle on court five. The Yellow Jacket dropped the first set, 6-2, to Cheng, but won the second, 6-4. Garcia Gross held a narrow 4-3 lead in the third, but Cheng knotted it at 4-all. Tied at 5-5, Garcia Gross won the next two games to pocket the match, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, and hand Georgia Tech a 3-2 match lead.
Minutes later, Bilchev completed an outstanding comeback to clinch the match for the Yellow Jackets on court two. Facing Barad Itzhaki, Bilchev responded after dropping the first set, 6-3, by jumping out with an early 3-0 advantage in the second. She quickly pocketed the second set, 6-1, to force a deciding third set. Bilchev held a 5-4 lead in the final set, but Barad Itzhaki moved back on serve at 5-5. The two traded the next two games to force a tiebreak at 6-all. Barad Itzhaki quickly gained the advantage in the tiebreak, winning the first five points to hold a 5-0 lead. But Bilchev staged an extraordinary comeback, winning seven-straight points to win the tiebreak, 7-5, and clinch the match for Georgia Tech, 4-2.
Play concluded on court one as Özlem Uslu edged out Lee, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, to account for the final 4-3 score.
Georgia Tech plays its final regular season road match next Saturday, April 8, traveling to Clemson. First serve is slated for noon.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. No. 69 Kylie Bilchev/Alejandra Cruz (GT) vs. Katie Andreini/Dariya Radulova (VT) 5-3, DNF
2. Monika Dedaj/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Erika Cheng/Özlem Uslu (VT) 6-3*
3. Carol Lee/Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) def. Semra Aksu/Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) 6-3
Order of finish: 3,2*
*Clinched the doubles point
SINGLES
1. Özlem Uslu (VT) def. No. 7 Carol Lee (GT) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
2. No. 26 Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Tamara Barad Itzhaki (VT) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-5)^
3. No. 105 Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. Dariya Radulova (VT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-0
4. Semra Aksu (VT) def. No. 65 Mahak Jain (GT) 7-5, 6-4
5. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) def. Erika Cheng (VT) 2-6, 6-4, 7-5
6. Katie Andreini (VT) def. Kate Sharabura (GT) 3-6, 7-5, 7-5
Order of finish: 4,3,6,5,2^,1
^Clinched the overall match
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 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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