@CanesWTennis Falls to No. 22 Texas A&M, 4-2

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The University of Miami women’s tennis team dropped a 4-2 decision to No. 22 Texas A&M Monday afternoon in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend championship match.

The top seed in the field, No. 12 Miami (1-1) fell behind the second-seeded Aggies by dropping the doubles point and was unable to make up the deficit in singles competition.

“Our focus is always the same, which is that we have to play every point, which turns into games, which turns into sets, which turns into matches,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We simply didn’t show up at two positions today, I didn’t think, physically or mentally. To beat a team like this, you have to show up at every position and even when you do, it’s going to be anybody’s match. They’ve got some older kids on their team. The better team won today, that’s the bottom line.”

Texas A&M (4-0) struck first in doubles with a 6-2 victory by Domenica Gonzalez and Eva Paalma over junior Sinead Lohan and sophomore Ana Madcur.

The Hurricanes then evened doubles competition, as junior Silvia Fuentes and sophomore Estela Perez-Somarriba notched a 6-2 triumph against Tina Bokhua and Stefania Hristov.

No. 17 Rutuja Bhosale and Rachel Pierson clinched the doubles point for the Aggies by defeating redshirt senior Maci Epstein and freshman Dominika Paterova, 6-3.

No. 70 Perez-Somarriba quickly tied the score, soon after singles play began. Facing Saska Gavrilovska, who ended the 2015-16 season ranked No. 23 nationally, the Madrid native took the first set without dropping a game. Gavrilovksa then retired from the match due to injury, giving the victory to Perez-Somarriba.

Bhosale put Texas A&M ahead with a 7-5, 6-2 win over No. 69 Epstein, but sixth-ranked Lohan countered almost immediately to tie the match at two. She earned a 6-4, 6-1 victory against No. 85 Pierson for the 46th ranked triumph of her career.

A valiant comeback effort by Paterova against No. 57 Bokhua came up short, as she dropped the match, 4-6, 5-7, putting the Aggies back in front, 3-2.

Macarena Olivares clinched the match for Texas A&M with a three-set victory over Madcur, 6-2, 3-6, 6-3. After falling behind 0-3 in the final set, Madcur evened the score, but Olivares won the final three games.

Fuentes held a 7-5, 5-7, 3-2 lead on Stefania Hristov when play was halted due to the Aggies earning the win.

“I’m not disappointed with the play at five and six. Those girls were battling, they were fighting hard and they came up a little bit short, but that’s what happens,” Yaroshuk-Tews said of Fuentes and Madcur. “If everybody shows up and everybody plays a disciplined match, you’ll usually sneak it out. If everybody doesn’t, the other team will usually sneak it out. At this level, it’s close. Texas A&M, I’ve got to give them credit—good team . . . They were just kind of playing a little bit more aggressively on the bigger points and we’ve got to change that moving forward.”

With the win, Texas A&M earns a berth in the ITA National Team Indoor Championship. Meanwhile, Miami’s streak of 12 consecutive appearances in the event comes to an end.

To keep up with the University of Miami women’s tennis team on social media, follow @CanesWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

RESULTS

Doubles Competition
1. No. 17 Rutuja Bhosale/Rachel Pierson (TAM) def. Maci Epstein/Dominika Paterova (UM), 6-3
2. Domenica Gonzalez/Eva Paalma (TAM) def. Sinead Lohan/Ana Madcur (UM), 6-2
3. Silvia Fuentes/Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Tina Bokhua/Stefania Hristov (TAM), 6-2

Singles Competition
1. No. 6 Sinead Lohan (UM) def. No. 85 Rachel Pierson (TAM), 6-4, 6-1
2. Rutuja Bhosale (TAM) def. No. 69 Maci Epstein (UM), 7-5, 6-2
3. No. 57 Tina Bokhua (TAM) def. Dominika Paterova (UM), 6-4, 7-5
4. No. 70 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. Saska Gavrilovska (TAM), 6-0, ret.
5. Macarena Olivares (TAM) def. Ana Madcur (UM), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
6. Silvia Fuentes (UM) vs. Stefania Hristov (TAM), 7-5, 5-7, 3-2, unf.