THE FLATS – No. 24 Georgia Tech claimed the doubles point and five singles matches to collect a 6-1 victory over Wake Forest in the final regular season match of the year. Tech finished the regular season 13-8 overall and 9-4 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
Doubles
Georgia Tech and Wake Forest split the first two doubles matches, leaving the clinching match on court three. Competing on court one, Tech’s No. 11 duo of Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura jumped out with a 5-1 lead over No. 82 Marcella Cruz and Brooke Killingsworth. The Yellow Jackets sealed the win, 6-2. But Wake Forest evened the doubles field minutes later, collecting a 6-3 decision on court two.
All eyes turned to court three where Kylie Bilchev and Scarlett Nicholson erased a 2-0 deficit against Mia Ahmad and Sankavi Gownder, moving back on serve at 2-all. The opponents worked to a 4-all standstill before the Demon Deacons held serve for a 5-4 advantage. But Bilchev and Nicholson rallied, winning the next three games for a 7-5 victory, clinching the early match lead for Georgia Tech.
Singles
Georgia Tech won the first three singles matches in straight-sets to clinch the match at 4-0. It took just over an hour for Lee to pocket a singles victory on her senior day. Facing No. 30 Casie Wooten on court one, Lee opened with a 3-1 lead in the first set and took the set lead, 6-3. The Jacket cruised in the second set, jumping out with a 4-0 advantage, and sealed the win, 6-3, 6-1, to put Georgia Tech up 2-0.
Bilchev cushioned Tech’s lead, pocketing a straight-set victory on court two. The Jacket, facing Killingsworth, gained control early and took the first set, 6-4. Bilchev opened the second set, 2-1, and never looked back, winning the match, 6-4, 6-2, setting Tech up 3-0.
Nicholson clinched the victory on court four. The freshman battled out the first set win against Nevena Carton, 7-5, breaking open a 5-all standstill. She opened the second set with a 5-2 lead before Carton won the next two games, closing within 5-4. Nevena looked for a chance to move back on serve in the next game and was serving at 40-0 before Nicholson battled back to deuce point. The Jacket won the point, clinching the win, 7-5, 6-4.
Wake Forest got on the scoreboard moments later, collecting a 6-3, 7-6 (5) win on court five before Sharabura pulled out a three-set win on court six over Krystal Blanch, 6-3,4-6,6-3. Sharabura trailed 2-3 in the final set before rattling off the next four-straight games to capture the win. Cruz split the first two sets on court three with Wake Forest, 4-6, 6-3, and trailed 3-5 in the final set. The Jacket worked back to take a 6-5 lead, but Wake Forest forced a third set tiebreak. Knotted at 2-apiece, Tech closed out the match, 7-3, in the breaker to account for the final 6-1 score.
Georgia Tech will await its seeding in the 2024 ACC Championship, which runs April 17-21 at the Cary Tennis Park in Cary, N.C.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. No. 11 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) def. No. 82 Brooke Killingsworth/Marcella Cruz (WFU) 6-2
2. Krystal Blanch/Casie Wooten (WFU) def. Given Roach/Alejandra Cruz (GT) 6-3
3. Kylie Bilchev/Scarlett Nicholson (GT) def. Mia Ahmad/Sankavi Gownder (WFU) 7-5*
Order of finish: 1,2,3*
*Clinched
Singles
1. No. 60 Carol Lee (GT) def. Casie Wooten (WFU) 6-3, 6-1
2. Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Brooke Killingsworth (WFU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. Marcella Cruz (WFU) 4-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
4. Scarlett Nicholson (GT) def. Nevena Carton (WFU) 7-5, 6-4*
5. Sankavi Gownder (WFU) def. Mahak Jain (GT) 6-3, 7-6 (7-5)
6. Kate Sharabura (GT) def. Krystal Blanch (WFU) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Order of finish: 1,2,3*5,6,3
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of the development of Yellow Jackets that thrive academically at the Institute and 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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