THE FLATS – Behind the doubles point and four singles victories, No. 36 Georgia Tech women’s tennis collected a 5-2 victory over No. 72 Louisville on Friday afternoon at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex. The win pushed Tech to 7-4 overall and 4-1 in Atlantic Coast Conference play.
DOUBLES
Georgia Tech collected the doubles point in less than 45 minutes, pocketing two victories to grab the 1-0 match advantage. The Jackets raced out with early leads on all three courts, but it was Gia Cohen and Ruth Marsh that finished first on court three. Leading 5-2 against Dina Chaika and Chelsea Sawyer, the Cardinals rallied back to 5-4 before Marsh served out the match, 6-4. Competing on court two, Tech’s No. 13 doubles pair of Kylie Bilchev and Ava Hrastar opened with a 3-0 lead over Louisville’s Tyra Richardson and Sasha Gorchanyuk before the Cardinals got on the scoreboard. The Jackets extended their lead to 5-2 and clinched the doubles point with a break at 6-2.
SINGLES
Cohen carried momentum into singles action, winning her fourth-straight singles match. The senior cruised to a 4-1 lead over Chaika on court six, and pocketed the opening set, 6-2. Cohen moved back on serve at 2-2 in the second set and broke open a 5-2 advantage. She served out the match, 6-2, to give Tech a 2-0 lead.
Bilchev cushioned the lead from court three where she dominated Gorchanyuk, dropping only two games en route to a 6-0, 6-2 victory. Bilchev has now won four straight and five of her past six singles matches.
Louisville got on the scoreboard, taking court five to setup a 3-1 tally, but the Jackets claimed the next two singles matches to build their lead. On court two, Hrastar won a hard-fought match over Sawyer, 6-4, 6-4. In the first set, the Jacket turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 advantage and took the set, 6-4. The conference foes were on serve at 4-4 in the second set before Hrastar earned a break and served out the match, 6-4.
Carol Lee wrapped up next at the top court against Andrea Di Palma to give Georgia Tech a 5-1 lead. Lee cruised in the opening set, 6-1, but trailed 5-4 in the second set before moving back on serve at 5-all. The Jacket and Cardinal traded the next two games to force a tiebreak at 6-6 in which Lee dominated, winning, 7-1, to take the match, 6-1, 7-6 (1).
Mahak Jain was the last court to conclude at four. Facing Tatiana Simova, Jain took the first set, 6-3, but dropped the second, 6-1. Jain trailed 4-0 in the third set before rallying back to 5-5. The pair stood knotted at 6-6 and Simova proved victorious, 7-4, to claim the match.
UP NEXT
The Yellow Jackets continue this ACC-opening home slate on Sunday, welcoming No. 35 Notre Dame to Ken Byers Tennis Complex. First serve is slated for noon.
DOUBLES
1. No. 12 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) vs. Tatiana Simova/Andrea Di Palma (LOU) 5-3, DNF
2. No. 13 Kylie Bilchev/Ava Hrastar (GT) def. Tyra Richardson/Sasha Gorchanyuk (LOU) 6-2
3. Gia Cohen/Ruth Marsh (GT) def. Dina Chaika/Chelsea Sawyer (LOU) 6-4
Order of finish: 3,2
SINGLES
1. No. 77 Carol Lee (GT) def. Andrea Di Palma (LOU) 6-1, 7-6 (7-1)
2. Ava Hrastar (GT) def. Chelsea Sawyer (LOU) 6-4, 6-4
3. No. 90 Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. Sasha Gorchanyuk (LOU) 6-0, 6-2
4. Tatiana Simova (LOU) def. Mahak Jain (GT) 3-6, 6-1, 7-6 (7-4)
5. Tyra Richardson (LOU) def. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) 6-2, 6-1
6. Gia Cohen (GT) def. Dina Chaika (LOU) 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: 6, 3, 5, 2, 1, 4
Alexander-Tharpe Fund
The Alexander-Tharpe Fund is the fundraising arm of Georgia Tech athletics, providing scholarship, operations and facilities support for Georgia Tech’s 400-plus student-athletes. Be a part of developing Georgia Tech’s Everyday Champions and helping the Yellow Jackets compete for championships at the highest levels of college athletics by supporting the Support The Swarm Fund, which helps Georgia Tech athletics offset the significant financial challenges associated with Covid-19, and 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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