University of Georgia Athletics
Friday, April 20
Knoxville, Tenn.
6:00 PM
University of Georgia
1
vs
4
Ole Miss
Bulldogs Fall in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
April 20, 2018 | Women's Tennis
Bulldogs Fall in SEC Tournament Quarterfinals
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No.4-seed Georgia Bulldogs dropped a 4-1 decision to fifth-seed Ole Miss Friday night in the quarterfinals of the Southeastern Conference Women's Tennis Tournament at Barksdale Stadium.
For the first time this season, two doubles tiebreakers were needed to settle the match's first point. Georgia took the first court, but Ole Miss outlasted the Bulldogs in the tiebreaker matches to gain the early lead. Strong singles play by the Rebels (20-5) sealed their advancement to the semifinals, while Georgia moved to 15-6 on the season. It marked just the fourth time this season that Georgia has not earned the doubles point.
"We played really good doubles, we had tons of energy, and it was an unbelievable doubles point – probably the most fun one all year," Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. "We unfortunately didn't get it. We lost a few points late. Court one played great, and two and three had chances. Ole Miss really picked it up at the end. It would have been nice to have that doubles point."
Court one doubles featured the tournament's two highest-ranked squads in Georgia's Elena Christofi and Morgan Coppoc (#10) and the Rebels' tandem of Arianne Hartono and Alexa Bortles (#5). After going down 0-2, Christofi/Coppoc rallied off six straight games to be the first court to finish.
The win left it up to courts two and three, which each went wire-to-wire down the stretch and into the tiebreakers. After being down 4-5, Kennedy Shaffer and Annette Goulak won two games to go up, but Natalie Suk and Anna Vrbenska broke back and outlasted in the tiebreaker, 7-4. With all eyes shifting to court two, Mariana Gould and Katarina Jokic moved ahead 7-6 in the tiebreaker, but Tea Jandric and Sabina Machalova strung together three straight points to seal the Rebels' doubles point.
Rolling momentum into singles play, Ole Miss took four first sets, putting Georgia in an uphill possession. After Ole Miss went up 2-0, Coppoc put the Bulldogs on the board with a win on court six. The freshman defeated Alexa Bortles, 6-2, 6-4, to register her ninth-straight win.
With two matches in a third set, the Bulldogs remained in contention. In a second set tiebreaker, Shaffer fell 6-3, 7-6(3) on court two, and shortly after Marta Gonzalez lost on court three to end a possible comeback.
"Obviously, we wanted to come here and do more than this," Wallace added. "We have the NCAA Tournament, so we just have to get ready for that. Tip your hat to Ole Miss tonight. We just have to get back to work."
Tennis Match Results
Ole Miss vs. Georgia
Apr 20, 2018 at Knoxville, Tenn.
(Barksdale Stadium)
Ole Miss 4, Georgia 1
Singles competition
1. #13 Arianne Hartono (OM) def. #10 Katarina Jokic (UGA) 6-0, 6-1
2. #77 Sabina Machalova (OM) def. #61 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
3. Tea Jandric (OM) def. #85 Marta Gonzalez (UGA) 6-2, 6-3
4. #115 Mariana Gould (UGA) vs. Anna Vrbenska (OM) 6-0, 0-6, 4-5, unfinished
5. Elena Christofi (UGA) vs. Natalie Suk (OM) 4-6, 6-0, 4-3, unfinished
6. Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Alexa Bortles (OM) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #10 Morgan Coppoc/Elena Christofi (UGA) def. #5 Arianne Hartono/Alexa Bortles (OM) 6-2
2. Sabina Machalova/Tea Jandric (OM) def. #15 Katarina Jokic/Mariana Gould (UGA) 7-6 (9-7)
3. Natalie Suk/Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. Annette Goulak/Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) 7-6 (7-4)
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,6,2,3)
For the first time this season, two doubles tiebreakers were needed to settle the match's first point. Georgia took the first court, but Ole Miss outlasted the Bulldogs in the tiebreaker matches to gain the early lead. Strong singles play by the Rebels (20-5) sealed their advancement to the semifinals, while Georgia moved to 15-6 on the season. It marked just the fourth time this season that Georgia has not earned the doubles point.
"We played really good doubles, we had tons of energy, and it was an unbelievable doubles point – probably the most fun one all year," Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. "We unfortunately didn't get it. We lost a few points late. Court one played great, and two and three had chances. Ole Miss really picked it up at the end. It would have been nice to have that doubles point."
Court one doubles featured the tournament's two highest-ranked squads in Georgia's Elena Christofi and Morgan Coppoc (#10) and the Rebels' tandem of Arianne Hartono and Alexa Bortles (#5). After going down 0-2, Christofi/Coppoc rallied off six straight games to be the first court to finish.
The win left it up to courts two and three, which each went wire-to-wire down the stretch and into the tiebreakers. After being down 4-5, Kennedy Shaffer and Annette Goulak won two games to go up, but Natalie Suk and Anna Vrbenska broke back and outlasted in the tiebreaker, 7-4. With all eyes shifting to court two, Mariana Gould and Katarina Jokic moved ahead 7-6 in the tiebreaker, but Tea Jandric and Sabina Machalova strung together three straight points to seal the Rebels' doubles point.
Rolling momentum into singles play, Ole Miss took four first sets, putting Georgia in an uphill possession. After Ole Miss went up 2-0, Coppoc put the Bulldogs on the board with a win on court six. The freshman defeated Alexa Bortles, 6-2, 6-4, to register her ninth-straight win.
With two matches in a third set, the Bulldogs remained in contention. In a second set tiebreaker, Shaffer fell 6-3, 7-6(3) on court two, and shortly after Marta Gonzalez lost on court three to end a possible comeback.
"Obviously, we wanted to come here and do more than this," Wallace added. "We have the NCAA Tournament, so we just have to get ready for that. Tip your hat to Ole Miss tonight. We just have to get back to work."
Tennis Match Results
Ole Miss vs. Georgia
Apr 20, 2018 at Knoxville, Tenn.
(Barksdale Stadium)
Ole Miss 4, Georgia 1
Singles competition
1. #13 Arianne Hartono (OM) def. #10 Katarina Jokic (UGA) 6-0, 6-1
2. #77 Sabina Machalova (OM) def. #61 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) 6-3, 7-6 (7-3)
3. Tea Jandric (OM) def. #85 Marta Gonzalez (UGA) 6-2, 6-3
4. #115 Mariana Gould (UGA) vs. Anna Vrbenska (OM) 6-0, 0-6, 4-5, unfinished
5. Elena Christofi (UGA) vs. Natalie Suk (OM) 4-6, 6-0, 4-3, unfinished
6. Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Alexa Bortles (OM) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #10 Morgan Coppoc/Elena Christofi (UGA) def. #5 Arianne Hartono/Alexa Bortles (OM) 6-2
2. Sabina Machalova/Tea Jandric (OM) def. #15 Katarina Jokic/Mariana Gould (UGA) 7-6 (9-7)
3. Natalie Suk/Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. Annette Goulak/Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) 7-6 (7-4)
Match Notes:
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (1,6,2,3)
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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