SYRACUSE, N.Y. – No. 34 Syracuse won the doubles point and carried momentum into singles play, outlasting the No. 3 Georgia Tech women’s tennis team 4-3 Sunday afternoon. The loss dropped Tech to 14-4 overall on the season and 6-2 against ACC opponents.
DOUBLES ACTION: Syracuse’s 37th-ranked pair of Gabriela Knutson and Miranda Ramirez made quick work of No. 1 Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones from the top seed. The Orange took a commanding 5-0 lead before the Jackets got on the board and took the match, 6-2. At the two seed, Ida Jarlskog and Victoria Flores took a 3-1 lead over Anna Shkudun/Sofya Golubovskaya. The Orange came back to 3-2, but the Jackets went up 4-2 and closed out the match for a 6-3 win to leave the doubles point to be decided at No. 3.
Competing at the three seed, Tech’s pair of Johnnise Renaud and Nami Otsuka fell behind 3-1 to Dina Hegab/Maria Tritou. With the match on serve at 4-all, Renaud held serve to put Tech up 5-4, but Syracuse claimed the next two games to hold a 6-5 advantage with a chance to serve out the match. The Jackets fought off two match points, but Tritou held serve for a 7-5 win and handed Syracuse a 1-0 lead entering singles play.
SINGLES ACTION: Renaud put the Jackets on the scoreboard, tying the match at 1-all winning at No. 3 in straight sets over Ramirez, 6-3, 6-3. But Sryacuse claimed the next two matches to take a 3-1 match lead. Tritou collected a 6-2, 6-4 win over Otsuka at No. 4 before Hegab defeated Nadia Gizdova at No. 6, 6-3, 6-3.
Jones grabbed the first set over Golubovskaya, 6-4, and led 4-1 in the second set, but Golubovskaya battled back to take a 6-5 lead. Jones forced a second set tiebreak at 6-6 and held strong in the tiebreak, winning 7-5 to hand the Jackets their second point of the match. The Orange clinched the match from the top seed where No. 9 Knutson battled No. 22 Hourigan. Hourigan won the first set, 6-2, but Knutson forced a deciding third set after a 6-2 second set win. Hourigan led 3-0 in the third, but Knutson won six of the next seven points to clinch the match.
Jarlskog wrapped up the match from the five seed, winning Tech’s final singles match. The freshman held strong for a 7-5 first set win over Shkudun and led 4-2 in the second set. Jarlskog sealed the final 4-3 score taking her match in a tiebreak, 8-6.
UP NEXT: Tech returns to the courts at home on Friday, welcoming No. 4 Duke to the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. First serve is slated for 3 p.m.
No. 3 GEORGIA TECH at No. 34 SYRACUSE RESULTS
Match Score: Syracuse 4, Georgia Tech 3
DOUBLES
1. No. 37 Gabriela Knutson/Miranda Ramirez (SYR) def. No. 1 Paige Hourigan/Kenya Jones (GT) 6-2
2. Ida Jarlskog/Victoria Flores (GT) def. Anna Shkudun/Sofya Golubovskaya (SYR) 6-3
3. Dina Hegab/Maria Tritou (SRY) def. Johnnnise Renaud/Nami Otsuka (GT) 7-5
Order of finish: 1, 2, 3
SINGLES
1. No. 9 Gabriela Knutson (SYR) def. No. 22 Paige Hourigan (GT) 2-6, 6-2, 6-4
2. Kenya Jones (GT) vs. Sofya Golubovskaya (SYR) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
3. Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Miranda Ramirez (SYR) 6-3, 6-3
4. Maria Tritou (SYR) def. Nami Otsuka (GT) 6-2, 6-4
5. No. 115 Ida Jarlskog (GT) def. Anna Shkudun (SYR) 7-5, 7-6 (8-6)
6. Dina Hegab (SYR) def. Nadia Gizdova (GT) 6-3, 6-3
Order of finish: 3, 4, 6, 2, 1, 5
Records: Georgia Tech (14-4, 6-2 ACC); Syracuse (14-3, 6-3 ACC)
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