W. Tennis Logs 5-2 Comeback Win at No. 17 Georgia Tech
By Alex Schwartz
HurricaneSports.com
ATLANTA – The University of Miami women’s tennis team rallied from a 2-0 deficit for a 5-2 victory Friday night at No. 17 Georgia Tech.
Buoyed by a trio of top-100 triumphs at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex, Miami (3-2, 1-0 ACC) recorded its first top-20 decision of the young season.
“We played with maturity, toughness and incredible fight from top to bottom,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “Getting this done on the road with a loud crowd and tough conditions will be the beginning of some great times with this group.”
Senior Yuna Ito and freshman Florencia Urrutia got the Hurricanes off to a fast start in doubles play, notching a 6-1 decision against Monika Dedaj and Rosie Garcia Gross.
Georgia Tech (9-5, 0-1 ACC) evened the doubles tally with a 6-2 triumph from No. 37 Victoria Flores and Kenya Jones over freshman Selma Cadar and senior Estela Perez-Somarriba. The Yellow Jackets then took the opening point, as Gia Cohen and Nami Otsuka topped sophomore Daevenia Achong and freshman Maya Tahan, 6-4.
Otsuka doubled Georgia Tech’s lead to begin singles action, as she notched a 6-1, 6-3 triumph over Tahan. No. 104 Cadar sliced the deficit in half with the third top-100 win of her career, a 6-4, 6-3 decision versus No. 93 Cohen.
Freshman Nada Dimovska, then leveled the score with an impressive win over Dedaj, dominating the first set and rallying in the second for a 6-0, 7-6 (7-5) result, marking her first spring singles win.
Urrutia put the Hurricanes in front for the first time with a hard-fought 7-6 (10-8), 6-2 victory against Garcia Gross.
Third-ranked Perez-Somarriba clinched the comeback win with a comeback decision of her own. The reigning NCAA singles champion dropped the first set, 2-6, against No. 60 Jones and then trailed, 3-4, in the second. After winning the next three games to force a split, she dropped three of first four games in the third before winning five of the next six to seal a 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 triumph.
With the victory already in hand, Miami picked up another win to make it a 5-2 final score, as No. 85 Achong won a top-100 matchup against No. 49 Flores, 6-4, 5-7, 6-3. After losing the first two games of the third set, the Geleen, Netherlands, native won six of the final seven to pick up her second-career top-50 decision.
“So proud of our sense of pride for UM tennis tonight,” Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We need to have a short memory. This is hard stuff and Monday at 11 a.m. will be the same.”
That Monday morning match for Miami will take place on its home court in Coral Gables, Fla., against fourth-ranked Florida State.
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. 37 Victoria Flores/Kenya Jones (GT) def. Selma Cadar/Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM), 6-2
2. Gia Cohen/Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Daevenia Achong/Maya Tahan (UM), 6-4
3. Yuna Ito/Florencia Urrutia (UM) def. Monika Dedaj/Rosie Garcia Gross (GT), 6-1
Singles Competition
1. No. 3 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM) def. No. 60 Kenya Jones (GT), 2-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 85 Daevenia Achong (UM) def. No. 49 Victoria Flores (GT), 6-4, 5-7, 6-3
3. No. 104 Selma Cadar (UM) def. No. 93 Gia Cohen (GT), 6-4, 6-3
4. Florencia Urrutia (UM) def. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT), 7-6 (10-8), 6-2
5. Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Maya Tahan (UM), 6-1, 6-3
6. Nada Dimovska (UM) def. Monika Dedaj (GT), 6-0, 7-6 (7-5)
