University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, February 23
Atlanta, GA
3 p.m.
University of Georgia
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at
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Georgia Tech
No. 6 Bulldogs Fall to #12 Yellow Jackets, 4-2
February 23, 2018 | Women's Tennis
No. 6 Bulldogs Fall to #12 Yellow Jackets, 4-2
ATLANTA, Ga. – A comeback opportunity ended in a second-set tiebreaker for the sixth-ranked Georgia women's tennis team against No. 12 Georgia Tech, 4-2, Friday at the Ken Byers Tennis Complex.
Georgia (5-2) dropped its first doubles point of the dual season, giving the Georgia Tech an early 1-0 edge. In singles, the Yellow Jackets went ahead 3-0, before freshman Katarina Jokic and senior Kennedy Shaffer tallied wins to trim the deficit to 3-2. Georgia Tech senior Johnnise Renaud held off sophomore Elena Christofi in the second-set tiebreaker to seal the victory.
"The doubles point was tight," Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. "We've been playing great doubles all year and this was the first point we haven't gotten this season. So when that happens we just have to see how we respond. In singles, we played great at No. 1 and No. 2. Near the end, we were outplaying No. 3 and thought we could force it to come down to two courts, but just couldn't finish it out."
Senior Mariana Gould and Jokic, ranked No. 8 in ITA doubles, provided Georgia's highlight in doubles by defeating Georgia Tech's Victoria Flores and Nami Otsuka, 6-4. The victory increased the Georgia duo's win streak to seven matches in a row with an overall 19-3 record.
In singles, the two teams split first sets to maintain the close play early on, but Georgia Tech finished off the first two matches on courts six and four to take a 3-0 lead. Closely after, Jokic and Shaffer bested their opponents to bring the match down to the wire.
Leading the whole way, Jokic, ranked 6th in the nation, beat Georgia Tech's No. 1 senior player Paige Hourigan, 6-4, 6-3. The win marked Jokic's seventh over a top-25 ranked opponent. Minutes later, Shaffer outlasted No. 83 Ida Jarlskog for her third ranked win of the season.
At the time of Georgia Tech's clinch, Gould was heading into a third set on court No. 5. Christofi's loss in the second-set tiebreaker came off an umpire overruling which made five on the match, handing the sophomore an automatic loss.
Next, the Bulldogs will hit the road for the start of Southeastern Conference play with matches at LSU on Friday March 2 at 4 p.m. and Texas A&M on Sunday March 4 at noon.
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Tennis Match Results
Georgia vs Georgia Tech
Feb 23, 2018 at Atlanta, Ga.
(Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
#12 Georgia Tech 4, #6 Georgia 2
Singles competition
1. #6 Katarina Jokic (UGA) def. #25 Paige Hourigan (GT) 6-4, 6-3
2. #53 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. #83 Ida Jarlskog (GT) 6-4, 7-5
3. Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Elena Christofi (UGA) 6-3, 7-6 (1-1)
4. Kenya Jones (GT) def. #78 Morgan Coppoc (UGA) 6-2, 6-3
5. Victoria Flores (GT) vs. #96 Mariana Gould (UGA) 4-6, 6-4, unfinished
6. Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Annette Goulak (UGA) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #4 Paige Hourigan/Kenya Jones (GT) def. #11 Elena Christofi/Morgan Coppoc (UGA) 6-4
2. #8 Katarina Jokic/Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Victoria Flores/Nami Otsuka (GT) 6-4
3. Ida Jarlskog/Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Annette Goulak/Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) 7-5
Match Notes:
Georgia 5-2; National ranking #6
Georgia Tech 6-1; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,4,1,2,3)
Georgia (5-2) dropped its first doubles point of the dual season, giving the Georgia Tech an early 1-0 edge. In singles, the Yellow Jackets went ahead 3-0, before freshman Katarina Jokic and senior Kennedy Shaffer tallied wins to trim the deficit to 3-2. Georgia Tech senior Johnnise Renaud held off sophomore Elena Christofi in the second-set tiebreaker to seal the victory.
"The doubles point was tight," Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. "We've been playing great doubles all year and this was the first point we haven't gotten this season. So when that happens we just have to see how we respond. In singles, we played great at No. 1 and No. 2. Near the end, we were outplaying No. 3 and thought we could force it to come down to two courts, but just couldn't finish it out."
Senior Mariana Gould and Jokic, ranked No. 8 in ITA doubles, provided Georgia's highlight in doubles by defeating Georgia Tech's Victoria Flores and Nami Otsuka, 6-4. The victory increased the Georgia duo's win streak to seven matches in a row with an overall 19-3 record.
In singles, the two teams split first sets to maintain the close play early on, but Georgia Tech finished off the first two matches on courts six and four to take a 3-0 lead. Closely after, Jokic and Shaffer bested their opponents to bring the match down to the wire.
Leading the whole way, Jokic, ranked 6th in the nation, beat Georgia Tech's No. 1 senior player Paige Hourigan, 6-4, 6-3. The win marked Jokic's seventh over a top-25 ranked opponent. Minutes later, Shaffer outlasted No. 83 Ida Jarlskog for her third ranked win of the season.
At the time of Georgia Tech's clinch, Gould was heading into a third set on court No. 5. Christofi's loss in the second-set tiebreaker came off an umpire overruling which made five on the match, handing the sophomore an automatic loss.
Next, the Bulldogs will hit the road for the start of Southeastern Conference play with matches at LSU on Friday March 2 at 4 p.m. and Texas A&M on Sunday March 4 at noon.
##
Tennis Match Results
Georgia vs Georgia Tech
Feb 23, 2018 at Atlanta, Ga.
(Ken Byers Tennis Complex)
#12 Georgia Tech 4, #6 Georgia 2
Singles competition
1. #6 Katarina Jokic (UGA) def. #25 Paige Hourigan (GT) 6-4, 6-3
2. #53 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. #83 Ida Jarlskog (GT) 6-4, 7-5
3. Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Elena Christofi (UGA) 6-3, 7-6 (1-1)
4. Kenya Jones (GT) def. #78 Morgan Coppoc (UGA) 6-2, 6-3
5. Victoria Flores (GT) vs. #96 Mariana Gould (UGA) 4-6, 6-4, unfinished
6. Nami Otsuka (GT) def. Annette Goulak (UGA) 6-1, 6-3
Doubles competition
1. #4 Paige Hourigan/Kenya Jones (GT) def. #11 Elena Christofi/Morgan Coppoc (UGA) 6-4
2. #8 Katarina Jokic/Mariana Gould (UGA) def. Victoria Flores/Nami Otsuka (GT) 6-4
3. Ida Jarlskog/Johnnise Renaud (GT) def. Annette Goulak/Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) 7-5
Match Notes:
Georgia 5-2; National ranking #6
Georgia Tech 6-1; National ranking #12
Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (6,4,1,2,3)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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