Feb. 13, 2009
MADISON, Wis. – The No. 7 Georgia Tech women’s team (4-0) dropped the doubles point but came back to defeat No. 13 Fresno State (2-1), 4-3, Friday night in the round of 16 of the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
“Overall, I was very pleased how we came back from losing the doubles point and fought so hard to get back into the match,” head coach Bryan Shelton said. “It was nice to just pull off the victory and we look forward to playing tomorrow.”
The day opened with the Yellow Jackets’ fifth-ranked duo of Amanda McDowell and Irina Falconi falling to No. 2 Anastasia Petukhova and Renata Kecerkova, 8-3, at the top spot in the lineup. Christy Striplin and Noelle Hickey then fell at the No. 2 doubles position to No. 23 Tinesta Rowe and Melanie Gloria, 8-5, to give the Bulldogs the 1-0 lead.
In singles play, Falconi, the 23rd-ranked player in the nation, tied the match from the top flight after defeating No. 17 Gloria, 6-1, 6-3 and Sasha Krupina gave Tech a 2-1 lead behind a 6-2, 3-6, 6-4 win over Laura Pola at No. 5 singles.
The Bulldogs stormed back behind No. 29 Petukhova’s 6-3, 6-0 win over 11th-ranked McDowell, who is battling a virus, at the second spot in the lineup. Kecerkova then put Fresno State ahead with a 5-7, 6-4, 6-1 defeat of No. 27 Striplin at the No. 3 flight.
“Once Amanda gets 100 percent healthy, we are going to be very dangerous,” Shelton added. “This is a good sign for this team that she isn’t playing her best and we are finding ways to win.”
The Yellow Jackets once again evened the score with Fresno State when 57th-ranked Hickey finished off Rowe, 6-4, 6-3, at the fourth spot in the lineup.
Freshman Viet Ha Ngo clinched the Yellow Jackets comeback victory from the No. 6 position with a 6-3, 6-1 win over Danon Beatty.
Georgia Tech will face No. 2 California, who defeated Clemson, 4-3, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET.
Georgia Tech 4, Fresno State 3
Singles
#23 Irina Falconi (GT) def. #17 Melanie Gloria (FS), 6-1, 6-3
#29 Anastasia Petukhova (FS) def. #11 Amanda McDowell (GT), 6-3, 6-0
Renata Kecerkova (FS) def. #27 Christy Striplin (GT), 5-7, 6-4, 6-1
#57 Noelle Hickey (GT) def. Tinesta Rowe (FS), 6-4, 6-3
Sasha Krupina (GT) def. Laura Pola (FS), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
Viet Ha Ngo (GT) def. Danon Beatty (FS) 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 1, 5, 2, 3, 4, 6
Doubles
#2 Petukhova/Kucerkova (FS) def. #5 Falconi/McDowell (GT), 8-3
#23 Rowe/Gloria (FS) def. Striplin/Hickey (GT), 8-5
Beatty/Pola (FS) def. Krupina/Davis (GT) 8-6
Order of Finish: 1, 2, 3
– RamblinWreck.com –
