THE FLATS – No. 37 Georgia Tech responded from dropping the doubles point to capture five singles matches to pocket a 5-2 win over Boston College on Sunday. The win pushed Tech back to 8-8 overall and 5-4 in ACC action.
DOUBLES ACTION: Boston College got the early lead winning the doubles point Sunday afternoon. The Eagles took courts one and three for a 1-0 match lead. Georgia Tech’s Kenya Jones and Valeriya Deminova captured Tech’s only doubles win from court two, defeating Jackie Urbinati and Elene Tsoilauri, 6-1. But the victory was short-lived as Boston College took court three, 6-2, and sealed the point with a 6-4 win on court one.
SINGLES ACTION: The Yellow Jackets responded in singles play, winning on five courts to secure the victory. Boston College notched its only singles win on court four, but Victoria Flores put the Jackets on the scoreboard with a straight-set win on five. Flores dropped only two games en route to a 6-0, 6-2 triumph over Tsokilauri. At the top seed, Jones knotted the match at 2-all with a win over No. 99 Kylie Wilcox. In the first set, Jones broke Wilcox to take a 3-2 edge and closed out the first set, 6-3. Tied at 3-apiece in the second set, the junior won the next three games to seal the win.
Seconds later, Otsuka pushed Tech in the lead with a victory on court two, winning a hard-fought match over No. 64 Yufei Long to give the Jackets a 3-2 lead. Carrying a 3-2 lead in the first set, Otsuka claimed the opener, 6-3, and dropped only one game in the second set to seal the match, 6-3, 6-1.
Valeriya Deminova clinched the match for the Jackets from court three. The freshman came out with a 3-1 lead over Jackie Urbinati, but the Eagle fought back to take a 5-4 edge. Deminova won the final three games of the opening set to seal it, 7-5. Urbinati took a 3-1 lead in the second set and pushed out to a 5-3 advantage before Deminova rallied to win the next four games and erase her deficit. With two 7-5 set wins, Deminova clinched the match for Tech at 4-2.
Nadia Gizdova wrapped up play for the Jackets from court six where she defeated Laura Lopez in three sets, 6-0, 2-6, 7-5 for the final 5-2 score.
QUOTABLE: “The team wanted to dedicate today’s match to Brandon Adams. They all knew Brandon and respected him as both a person and a student-athlete. He was a tremendous person, so our team wanted to play hard today and get a win for him. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.” – Head coach Rodney Harmon
UP NEXT: Georgia Tech opens a five-match road swing stopping at Notre Dame first on March 29. First serve is slated for 3:30 p.m.
RESULTS
Doubles
1- Yufei Long/Kylie Wilcox (BC) def. Nami Otsuka/Gia Cohen (GT) 6-4
2-Kenya Jones/Valeriya Deminova (GT) def. Jackie Urbinati/Elene Tsokilauri (BC) 6-1
3- Natasha Irani/Loren Haukova (BC) def. Victoria Flores/Nadia Gizdova (GT) 6-2
Order of finish: 2,3,1
Singles
1- No. 12 Kenya Jones (GT) def. No. 99 Kylie Wilcox (BC) 6-3, 6-3
2-Nami Otsuka (GT) def. No. 64 Yufei Long (BC) 6-3, 6-1
3-Valeriya Deminova (GT) def. Jackie Urbinati (BC) 7-5, 7-5
4- Natasha Irani (BC) def. Gia Cohen (GT) 6-2, 6-0
5-Victoria Flores (GT) def. Elene Tsokilauri (BC) 6-0, 6-2
6-Nadia Gizdova (GT) def. Laura Lopez (BC) 6-0, 2-6, 7-5
Order of finish: 4,5,1,2,3,6
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