W. Tennis Drops 4-3 Heartbreaker at No. 12 Georgia Tech
By Alex Schwartz
MiamiHurricanes.com
ATLANTA – The University of Miami women’s tennis team fell, 4-3, Saturday afternoon on the road at No. 12 Georgia Tech.
Following a 90-minute delay before the match, the Hurricanes came out strong in doubles inside the Ken Byers Tennis Complex, but fell behind, 3-1, in singles play. A pair of third-set tiebreakers went their way to tie the score, but the comeback came one point short.
“Tough match against a tough team,” Miami head coach Paige Yaroshuk-Tews said. “We need to have a really quick turnaround, mentally and physically, to get ready for another solid ACC opponent.”
The Hurricanes took the opening point of the match with an impressive showing in doubles while debuting new pairs. First, Estela Perez-Somarriba and Isabella Pfennig downed Gia Cohen and Sophia Sassoli, 6-0.
After fifth-ranked Victoria Flores and Kenya Jones leveled the tally by downing Daevenia Achong and Maya Tahan, 6-2, Miami (2-3, 0-1 ACC) won the decisive match on Court 3. Diana Khodan and Florecnia Urrutia earned a 6-2 win over Monika Dedaj and Carol Lee to put the Hurricanes in front, 1-0.
Once singles play got underway, the Yellow Jackets quickly tied the score behind a 6-2, 6-3 victory from Carol Lee over Nada Dimovska, who made her season debut for Miami.
Georgia Tech (8-4, 1-0 ACC) then went in front by earning a victory in a top-100 matchup between No. 87 Achong and No. 56 Flores. After dropping the first set, Achong took a 5-3 edge in the second, but Flores rallied and took a 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) decision.
Despite trailing, 2-1, Miami remained in good shape, as it held a 4-2 third-set lead on three courts and was on its way to forcing a split on the fourth. However, the Hurricanes were unable to easily close them all out.
Second-ranked Perez-Somarriba dropped the final four games of her match against No. 13 Jones, suffering a 6-3, 4-6, 4-6 setback that put Georgia Tech ahead, 3-1.
After watching her 4-2 lead become a 5-6 deficit, Pfennig forced a tiebreaker against No. 123 Cohen and won it in narrow fashion to log her first-career ranked victory in comeback fashion, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5).
Tahan, meanwhile, went from 4-2 up to even at 5-5 before she, too, eventually went to a tiebreaker. Hers was also a tight one that went to the Hurricanes, as the Tel Mond, Israel, native took a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6) decision to even the score.
In the decisive match, Dedaj took the last three games—including two before Miami evened the score—to defeat Urrutia, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, and clinch the home decision for the Yellow Jackets.
For the Hurricanes, whose three defeats this season have all come on the road against top-15 teams, Saturday marked just their third loss in its last 14 outings versus Georgia Tech.
Miami will back in action Sunday against Clemson, with action set to begin at noon in Clemson, S.C.
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. 5 Victoria Flores/Kenya Jones (GT) def. Daevenia Achong/Maya Tahan (UM), 6-2
2. Estela Perez-Somarriba/Isabella Pfennig (UM) def. Gia Cohen/Sophia Sassoli (GT), 6-0
3. Diana Khodan/Florencia Urrutia (UM) def. Monika Dedaj/Carol Lee (GT), 6-2
Singles Competition
1. No. 13 Kenya Jones (GT) def. No. 2 Estela Perez-Somarriba (UM), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. No. 56 Victoria Flores (GT) def. No. 87 Daevenia Achong (UM), 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)
3. Isabella Pfennig (UM) def. No. 123 Gia Cohen (GT), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
4. Maya Tahan (UM) def. Rosie Garcia Gross (GT), 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8-6)
5. Monika Dedaj (GT) def. Florencia Urrutia (UM), 7-5, 3-6, 6-3
6. Carol Lee (GT) def. Nada Dimovska (UM), 6-2, 6-3
