THE FLATS – The No. 4 Georgia Tech women’s tennis team rolled to a 6-1 victory over No. 27 Wake Forest Sunday afternoon at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. Freshman Ida Jarlskog clinched the match that pushed Tech to 16-4 overall and 8-2 in ACC play.
DOUBLES ACTION: The Jackets pocketed doubles wins from the one and three seeds to take a 1-0 match lead entering singles play. Johnnise Renaud and Nami Otsuka led 5-4 over WFU’s Courtney Meredith/Joanna Zalewski at the three seed, but the Demon Deacons knotted the match at 5-all. Winning the next two points, the Jackets put Tech ahead in doubles play with a 7-5 win.
Finishing within minutes of court three, Tech’s top duo of No. 2 Paige Hourigan and Kenya Jones clinched the doubles point, rolling to a 6-2 triumph over Wake Forest’s No. 46 Emma Davis/Chandler Carter. Leading 5-2, Hourigan held serve to seal the early match lead for Tech.
SINGLES ACTION: Tech clinched the match with three straight-set singles wins before Wake Forest got on the scoreboard. Otsuka got things rolling, not dropping a game in a 6-0, 6-0 triumph over Zalewski at No. 5 to open singles play, pushing Tech in the lead 2-0. Renaud expanded Tech’s lead to 3-0, claiming a 6-1, 6-3 win over Carter at No. 3.
Freshman Jarlskog clinched the match from the four seed. The Jacket took the first set 6-1 over M.C. Meredith and led 4-3 in the second set, but the Demon Deacon knotted things up at 5-all. Jarlskog held serve and broke Meredith to win the set, 7-5, and clinch the match at 4-0 for Tech.
Competing at the two seed, Jones battled back from a 3-1 deficit in the first set to win the match in straight sets, claiming a hard-fought opening set, 7-5. The sophomore erased a 2-3 second set deficit, winning the next four points to pocket a 7-5, 6-3 match and put Tech up 5-0.
Wake Forest posted its lone win of the afternoon from the top seed as No. 37 Davis defeated No. 19 Hourigan, 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7). Flores wrapped up the match with a three-set win from the No. 6 seed. After notching the first set over Meredith, 6-1, the Demon Deacon forced a deciding third set with a 7-5 second set win. Flores held strong in the third set, winning the tiebreak, 7-3, to seal the 6-1 win for Georgia Tech.
QUOTABLE: “It was a tough weekend, but a good weekend for our team. I thought we competed hard and secured two home wins that we really needed in the conference against two good teams. The thing now is we have to rest and get ready for three road matches. We’ll play indoors at Pitt and Boston College this weekend, which will be two challenging matches. We have to be ready to go, but I’m really happy with the way the girls played this weekend.” – head coach Rodney Harmon
UP NEXT: Tech opens a three-match road swing at Pittsburgh on April 13. First serve is slated for 4 p.m.
No. 4 GEORGIA TECH vs. No. 27 WAKE FOREST RESULTS
Match Score: Georgia Tech 6, Wake Forest 1
DOUBLES
1. No. 2 Paige Hourigan/Kenya Jones (GT) def. No. 46 Emma Davis/Chandler Carter (WFU) 6-2
2. Ida Jarlskog/Victoria Flores (GT) vs. Eliza Omirou/M.C. Meredith (WFU) 5-5, DNF
3. Johnnise Renaud/Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Courtney Meredith/Joanna Zalewski (WFU) 7-5
Order of finish: 3,1
SINGLES
1. No. 37 Emma Davis (WFU) def. No. 19 Paige Hourigan (GT) 3-6, 6-4, 1-0 (10-7)
2. No. 64 Kenya Jones (GT) def. No. 124 Eliza Omirou (WFU) 7-5, 6-3
3. Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Chandler Carter (WFU) 6-1, 6-3
4. Ida Jarlskog (GT) def. M.C. Meredith (WFU) 6-1, 7-5
5. Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Joanna Zalewski (WFU) 6-0, 6-0
6. Victoria Flores (GT) def. Courtney Meredith (WFU) 6-1, 5-7, 7-6 (7-3)
Order of finish: 5, 3, 4, 2, 1, 6
Records: Georgia Tech (16-4, 8-2 ACC); Wake Forest (16-9, 4-6 ACC)
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