AUSTIN, TEXAS – In a six-hour battle that contained a two-plus hour weather delay, No. 24 Georgia Tech battled No. 9 Texas for a spot in the NCAA Championship Sweet 16, but the Longhorns escaped with a 4-3 win. The match came down to the final point as the Yellow Jackets concluded the team portion of the season with a 14-10 overall record.
Doubles
It came down to the final court for the doubles point as the teams battled for an hour to decide the early leader. Competing on court three, Kylie Bilchev and Scarlett Nicholson made quick work of Taisiya Pachkaleva and Shachf Lieberman. After trading the first two games, the Yellow Jackets took a 3-1 lead. Bilchev and Nicholson extended their advantage and pocketed the victory, 6-2.
Texas evened the doubles field with a 6-2 win on court two as all eyes turned to court one where Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura faced Malaika Rapolu and Tanya Sasnouskaya. The Longhorns earned an early break to hold a 3-1 lead, but the Jackets continued to fight back. Trailing 4-5 with Texas serving, Lee and Sharabura went up 40-15 to hold a trio of break points. The Jackets extended the match with a break, setting up a 5-all standstill. But Texas held strong and won the next two games to clinch the doubles point with a 7-5 win.
Singles
Georgia Tech got off to a strong start in singles play, winning four first sets against the Longhorns. Sharabura was able to tie the match at 1-all before weather interrupted the match. Battling on court five against Pachkaleva, the opponents remained on serve at 4-all in the first set before Sharabura won a break to go up 5-4. The Jacket closed out the first set, 6-4, and carried momentum into the second set, opening with a 3-0 lead. The junior sealed the match win, 6-4, 6-2, to put Georgia Tech on the scoreboard.
Moments later, a quick downpour ensued, clearing the courts. Out of the delay, Texas wrapped up advantages on courts three and four to regain a 3-1 match lead, but the Yellow Jackets continued to fight. On court one, Lee pulled out a gutsy win over Sabina Zeynalova in straight-sets. After taking a 4-2 lead in the first set, Lee pocketed the opener, 6-3, and held a 4-2 lead when play was stopped due to rain. Out of the delay, Zeynalova won the next two points to even the set at 4-4, but Lee claimed the next two games to seal the win, 6-3, 6-4.
Bilchev tied the match at 3-3 with a three-set win on court two over Rapolu. The Jacket dominated the first set, 6-3, but Rapolu gained momentum in the second set, 6-0. In a deciding third set, Bilchev raced out with a 5-0 lead before the Longhorn won the next two games. Bilchev closed out the win in the next game, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2, to even the match at 3-all.
With the match tied, all eyes turned to court six where freshman Given Roach battled Vivian Ovrootsky. The opponents were on serve at 3-all in the opening set before Roach took a 5-3 lead. She pocketed the opener, 6-4, and led 3-2 before the weather delay. Out of the break, Ovrootsky moved back on serve at 3-3, but Roach won the next two games to hold a 5-3 lead. But the Longhorn forced a final third set, winning four consecutive games to take the second set, 7-5. Roach battled in the final set, but couldn’t overcome Ovrootsky who sealed the win, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1, for the final 4-3 score.
Lee and Sharabura return to the courts in the singles and doubles NCAA Championships. Individuals are set to run May 20-25 at the Greenwood Tennis Center in Stillwater, Okla.
RESULTS
Doubles
1. No. 34 Malaika Rapolu/Tanya Sasnouskaya (TEXAS) def. No. 21 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) 7-5*
2. Charlotte Chavatipon/Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) def. No. 63 Alejandra Cruz/Given Roach (GT) 6-2
3. Kylie Bilchev/Scarlett Nicholson (GT) def. Taisiya Pachkaleva/Shachf Lieberman (TEXAS) 6-2
Order of finish: 3,2,1*
*Clinched
Singles
1. No. 38 Carol Lee (GT) vs. No. 30 Sabina Zeynalova (TEXAS) 6-3, 6-4
2. Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. No. 20 Malaika Rapolu (TEXAS) 6-3, 0-6, 6-2
3. No. 85 Charlotte Chavatipon (TEXAS) def. Alejandra Cruz (GT) 6-3, 6-2
4. No. 42 Tanya Sasnouskaya (TEXAS) def. Scarlett Nicholson (GT) 6-3, 6-1
5. Kate Sharabura (GT) def. No. 122 Taisiya Pachkaleva (TEXAS) 6-4, 6-2
6. Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) def. Given Roach (GT) 4-6, 7-5, 6-1*
Order of finish: 5,3,4,1,2,6*
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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