University of Georgia Athletics
University of Georgia
ITA All-American Main Draw
Bulldogs Drop Matches in ITA Championships
October 06, 2016 | Women's Tennis
PACIFIC PALISADES, Calif. ---Play in the singles main draw of the ITA/Riviera All-American Championships commenced Thursday with senior Caroline Brinson and junior Kennedy Shaffer falling in their opening matches.
The losses marked the first singles defeats for both players as they each are now 3-1 on the season. Shaffer, ranked 14th in ITA/Oracle rankings, drew No. 23 Aldila Sutjiadi of Kentucky, while No. 21 Brinson faced UNLV's Carol Yang, ranked 103rd.
"We have to take advantages when we have opportunities in big situations," Georgia Associate Coach Drake Bernstein said. "Our girls played some great tennis at times but unfortunately we couldn't convert on the most important points. Kennedy and Caroline did an awesome job of supporting each other during their matches."
Shaffer dropped the first set 3-6 and found herself trailing 3-5 in the second but rallied off four straight games to take the second set 7-5. In the third, the game was deadlock at 4-4 but the Wildcats' senior Sutjiadi edged out the last two games to take the match 6-3, 5-7, 6-4.
Last season, the First-Team All-SEC Sutjiadi lost in the round of 64 at the NCAA Singles Championships, concluding a 16-7 campaign and No. 36 singles ranking.
Brinson fell in the first set to the Rebels' Yang 4-6 before a series of aggressive plays propelled her to win the second set 6-3. The UNLV senior pulled out the last set 6-2 to take the match 6-4, 3-6, 6-2.
In 2015-16, Yang compiled a 21-8 record and was ranked as high as 49th.
The Georgia pair will each go on to play in the singles consolation bracket starting Friday. Shaffer goes against Syracuse's Anna Shkudun, 44th-ranked, and Brinson will play No. 8 Jasmine Lee of Mississippi State.
"We are fortunate to have some more tough matches tomorrow and I am looking forward to seeing how we bounce back from today," Bernstein added.
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