Fifth-Ranked Georgia Defeats USF, 5-2, in Season-Opener

Friday, January 25

Athens, Ga.

2 p.m.

University of Georgia

South Florida

Fifth-Ranked Georgia Defeats USF, 5-2, in Season-Opener

January 25, 2019 | Women's Tennis

Box Score Match 2 Box Match 1 Box

ATHENS, Ga. — In its 2019 season-opener, the fifth-ranked University of Georgia women's tennis squad secured four singles victories and two doubles wins for the 5-2 victory over the University of South Florida (USF) in the first day of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Courts on Friday.

No. 78-ranked freshman Lourdes Carle clinched the win over USF for the Bulldogs in her dual debut. Three other Georgia players also obtained singles wins over their South Florida opponents, including junior Marta Gonzalez, sophomore Vivian Wolff and freshman Meg Kowalski. Georgia obtained its first doubles point with wins from Wolff/Carle and the duo of Morgan Coppoc and Elena Christofi.

"It was nice to win 5-2 and be 1-0 on the year, but we have a lot to learn and improve on," Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace said. "We're striving to be a championship program, and we've given them the roadmap. We're going to challenge the team to do a lot of things well, and we told them what we need to do to get better."

In doubles, the Bulldogs secured the point with wins on courts one and two against USF. First, the Georgia tandem of Wolff and Carle defeated USF's team of Nicole Dzenga/Vanja Klaric. The Bulldogs held their serve and then went on to break USF's to grab a 2-0 advantage. The USF twosome broke back to make it 2-1, but Wolff/Carle answered by breaking the Bulls' next two serves and holding two more for the 6-1 victory.

After the Bulldogs dropped the No. 3 doubles match, focus shifted to the number two court for the deciding doubles point. Georgia duo of sophomore Coppoc and Athens, Greece, native Christofi sealed the doubles point, ousting USF opponents Ana Roman/Amelie Boy, 6-3.

Later in the singles matches, No. 54-ranked Wolff soared through both sets against South Florida's Klaric to take the 6-0, 6-1 victory. Meanwhile, Georgia's Gonzalez, ranked No. 14 in ITA singles rankings, defeated Evelyne Tiron of South Florida, 6-3, 6-1. After Gonzalez got the first break of her match to go up 2-1, USF's Tiron caught up and eventually tied the score, 3-all. However, the Georgia junior won three-straight games and broke two serves in the first set to pull away. Gonzalez maintained her momentum throughout the second set, allowing her opponent to take just one game, and eventually sealed the win.

On court three, No. 78-ranked Bulldog Carle ousted USF freshman Perello Pellicer, 6-4, 6-3 for the clincher. Both Carle and her opponent held their serves to start the match, tying it, 1-all. All four games that followed resulted in breaks, but the Georgia freshman broke the streak by holding her serve to go up 5-3. While Pellicer fought back to make the score 5-4, Carle managed to take the first set, 6-4, before winning the second set by a score of 6-3. The win upped the freshman Bulldog's overall record to 6-2.

Having already secured the win, Georgia continued play with the matches of Jokic, Christofi and Kowalski. The Bulls got on the scoreboard when Roman upset No. 1-ranked Bulldog Katarina Jokic, 7-6, 6-2. In the first set, Jokic maintained a close match but eventually fell, 7-6. Roman then took an early advantage in the second set, allowing Jokic only two games, and obtained the 6-2 win.

Next, No. 79-ranked Kowalski defeated Janvhi Clark of South Florida, 6-3, 6-2. Lastly, after forcing her match against USF's Boy to a super-breaker, Christofi ultimately fell, 7-5, 6-7, 0-1.

Georgia returns to the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Courts tomorrow to face-off against Kansas State at 2 p.m. in the last day of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend tournament.

FOLLOW THE BULLDOGS:
For all the latest on Georgia women's tennis, follow the team on Twitter (@UGAWomensTennis), Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (Georgia Women's Tennis) and keep checking in to georgiadogs.com.