EVANSTON, Ill. – Georgia Tech responded after dropping the doubles point to Northwestern by winning five singles matches to collect a 5-2 win on Sunday. The Yellow Jackets went undefeated on the weekend to improve to 4-1 on the season.
Doubles
Northwestern clinched the doubles point with wins on courts two and three to take a 1-0 match lead. The Wildcats took court three, 6-1, before sealing the point with a close win on court two as Christina Hand and Justine Leong edged out a 6-4 win over Kylie Bilchev and Alejandra Cruz.
Singles
Mahak Jain got the Yellow Jackets on the scoreboard, collecting a straight-set victory over Leong on court three. Knotted at 3-3 in the opening set, Jain battled to take the set, 6-4, and got the second set started with a 4-2 lead. Jain sealed the win, 6-4, 6-2, to even the match at 1-all.
Northwestern regained the lead with a three-set win on court six. Kate Sharabura took the first set over Rabjohns, 6-1, but the Wildcat evened the match, taking the second set, 6-3. Rabjohns carried momentum into the final set, not dropping a game to give Northwestern a 2-1 match lead.
Georgia Tech took its first and final lead of the match, winning the next two singles matches from courts four and one. Competing on court four, Cruz dominated Sydney Pratt as the freshman Yellow Jacket took a 4-2 lead and collected the first set, 6-3. Cruz went up 4-3 in the second set and pocketed the win, 6-3, 6-3, to even the match, 2-2.
At the top court, Carol Lee handed Tech the lead, winning a straight-set victory over Maria Shusarina, 6-4, 6-3. Lee trailed in the first set, 3-4, but won the next three games to take the opener and raced out with a 5-1 lead in the second set. She clinched the win to setup a 3-2 match lead for the Yellow Jackets.
Bilchev clinched the win for Georgia Tech with a victory coming from court four. Facing Hand, Bilchev led 4-2 in the first set before the Wildcat battled back to 5-5. But Bilchev fought to take the next two games and the set, 7-5. Hand looked on track to split sets, grabbing a 4-1 lead to start the second, but Bilchev rallied back and knotted the set at 4-4. She used her momentum to seal the win, 7-5, 6-4, to setup a 4-2 match lead.
Rosie Garcia Gross wrapped up match play on court five, winning a close match over Briana Crowley. Garcia Gross fought back in both sets after getting down against Crowley. The Jacket trailed 4-3 in the first before bouncing back for a 7-5 win and led 5-4 in the second set before the Wildcat knotted it at 5-5. Crowley took a 6-5 lead, but Garcia Gross forced a tiebreak at 6-6. The Jacket squeaked out the tiebreak win, 10-8, to finish Tech’s 5-2 win.
Georgia Tech returns to the courts welcoming Gonzaga to the Ken Byers Tennis Complex on Feb. 18. First serve is slated for 12 p.m.
RESULTS
DOUBLES
1. No. 53 Carol Lee/Kate Sharabura (GT) vs. Briana Crowley/Sydney Pratt (NU) 5-4, DNF
2. Christina Hand/Justine Leong (NU) def. Kylie Bilchev/Alejandra Cruz (GT) 6-4*
3. Kiley Rabjohns/Maria Shusarina (NU) def. Rosie Garcia Gross/Mahak Jain (GT) 6-1
Order of finish: 3,2*
*Clinched the doubles point
SINGLES
1.No. 10 Carol Lee (GT) def. Maria Shusarina (NU) 6-4, 6-3
2. No. 111 Kylie Bilchev (GT) def. No. 54 Christina Hand (NU) 7-5, 6-4
3. No. 109 Mahak Jain (GT) def. Justine Leong (NU) 6-4, 6-2
4. No. 104 Alejandra Cruz (GT) def. Sydney Pratt (NU) 6-3, 6-3
5. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT) vs. Briana Crowley (NU)
6. Kiley Rabjohns(NU) def. Kate Sharabura (GT) 1-6, 6-3, 6-0
Order of finish: 3,6,4,1,2^
^Clinched the overall match
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 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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