CLEMSON, S.C. – Closing out its regular season road slate on Saturday, No. 22 Georgia Tech women’s tennis erased an early 0-2 deficit, winning five singles matches to collect a 5-2 victory at No. 32 Clemson. The win moved Tech to 12-7 overall this season and 6-5 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
DOUBLES
Playing inside, Tech battled on all three courts, fighting off multiple match points, but Clemson held to sweep all doubles matches and gain the early match lead. Clemson took court one first, 6-3, but Tech held a 5-4 lead on court two and stood tied at 5-5 on three. Monika Dedaj and Kate Sharabura held match point at 5-4 on court two, but Daniella Medvedeva and Cristina Mayorova moved back on serve at 5-all and won three-straight games to take the match at 7-5, clinching the doubles point. Clemson completed the sweep of doubles on court three. Carol Lee and Rosie Garcia Gross fought back from a 5-3 deficit to take a 6-5 advantage, but Leigh Van Zyl and Jenna Thompson forced a tiebreak at 6-6. The Tigers won the tiebreak, 7-5.
SINGLES
Clemson grabbed a 2-0 match lead quickly winning on court six in singles play, but the Yellow Jackets got on the scoreboard taking the next two matches to finish. On court two, Kylie Bilchev jumped out with an early lead over Mayorova in the first set, 3-1. Bilchev pocketed the opening set, 6-3, and did not drop a game in the second, 6-0, to put Tech on the board.
Minutes later, Mahak Jain tied the match at 2-apiece, winning in straight-sets on court three. On serve at 4-4 in the first set against Medvedeva, Jain won the next two games to gain the set lead, 6-4. The opponents were knotted at 2-all in the early going of the second set before Jain broke open a 5-2 advantage. Jain sealed the match, 6-4, 6-3.
Alejandra Cruz handed Tech its first and final lead of the match, winning on court four in three sets over Thompson. The Tiger took the first set, 6-2, but Cruz grouped and dominated the remainder of the match. Cruz opened with a 5-0 lead in the second set, evening the match with a 6-1 set, and carried momentum into the third, jumping out with a 3-0 advantage. Thompson won the next game, but Cruz took the match, 2-6, 6-1, 6-1, to put the Yellow Jackets in the lead, 3-2.
Georgia Tech needed just one match of the remaining two to seal the victory. The clinch came from court five where Garcia Gross downed Sophia Hatton in three sets. After the opponents split the first two sets, 6-3, 4-6, Hatton opened a 4-2 advantage in the deciding third set. But Garcia Gross fought back and won four-straight games to clinch the match, 6-3, 4-6, 6-4.
Play concluded at the top singles court where Lee battled Eleni Louka. Lee dominated the opening set, 6-2, before Louka quickly took control of the second set, leading 5-2. Lee rallied back to 5-4, but the Tiger evened the match with a 6-4 second set. Lee and Louka traded games in the deciding third set, resulting in a 6-6 standstill. Lee opened the tiebreak with a 3-0 advantage and extended her lead to 5-1. Louka rallied back to 6-all, but Lee took the next two to seal the triumph, 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6), and account for the final 5-2 victory.
Georgia Tech returns home for its final two regular season matches this upcoming weekend, welcoming Florida State (April 14) and Miami (April 16) to the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. Sophia Hatton/Eleni Louka (CU) def. No. 69 Kylie Bilchev/Alejandra Cruz (GT) 6-3
2. Daniella Medvedeva/Cristina Mayorova (CU) def. No. 63 Monika Dedaj/Kate Sharabura (GT) 7-5
3. Leigh Van Zyl/Jenna Thompson (CU) def. Carol Lee/Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 7-6 (7-5)
Order of finish: 1,2*,3
*Clinched the doubles point
SINGLES
1. No. 11 Carol Lee (GT) def. Eleni Louka (CU) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (8-6)
2. No. 23 Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Cristina Mayorova (CU) 6-3, 6-0
3. No. 88 Mahak Jain (GT) def. No. 85 Daniella Medvedeva (CU) 6-4, 6-3
4. No. 112 Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. Jenna Thompson (CU) 2-6, 6-1, 6-1
5. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) def. Sophia Hatton (CU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-4
6. Alexandra Anttila (CU) def. Kate Sharabura (GT) 6-1, 6-3
Order of finish: 6,2,3,4,5^,1
^Clinched the overall match
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