CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – No. 31 South Carolina women’s tennis dropped a tough 4-2 decision to No. 33 Old Dominion in NCAA Championships first-round action today at the Chewning Tennis Center in Chapel Hill. The Gamecocks dropped the doubles point but mounted a solid rally from behind before the Monarchs closed out the victory.
Old Dominion dominated double, jumping out to early breaks on all three courts and cruising to wins in the Nos. 1 and 3 matches.
In singles, Elise Mills exploded with a quick 6-3 first-set win on Court 5 and the Gamecocks looked to build momentum from that showing. The shift started when Misa Malkin got a late break on Court 4 to edge out her first set 6-4, but the Monarchs stemmed the tide with a late break on Court 1 to claim first sets on the other four courts.
Mills kept her foot on the gas, closing out Alexandra Viktorovich 6-3, 6-3 to level the match at 1-1. Old Dominion was unbothered, reclaiming the lead with wins on Courts 3 and 6 to draw within a point of the victory.
Malkin held off Yakubovich on Court 4 to claim a 6-4, 6-3 victory and make it a 3-2 match, leaving it to the top of the lineup to settle things with No. 12 Ayana Akli and No. 25 Sarah Hamner battling it out in those positions.
Hamner was rallying back from dropping her first set and had Sofia Johnson on the ropes at 4-6, 6-2, 4-0, but No. 33 Tatsiana Sasnouskaya closed things out in the top spot with her 7-5, 6-4 win over Akli to send the Monarchs into the second round.
The loss closes the Gamecocks’ team season with a 13-11 overall record. Akli and Hamner will await their draws in the NCAA Singles and Doubles Championships to be played in Orlando, Fla., later this month.
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#33 Old Dominion 4, #31 South Carolina 2
Doubles (order of finish 3, 1)
1. (42) Sofia Johnson/Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU) def. (33) Ayana Akli/Sarah Hamner (SC) 6-4
2. Allison Isaacs/Alexandra Viktorovich (ODU) led Gracie Mulville/ Elise Mills (SC) 5-2 suspended
3. Alesya Yakubovich/Shahar Biran (ODU) def. Ana Cruz/Allie Gretkowski (SC) 6-1
Singles (order of finish 5, 3, 6, 4, 1)
1. (33) Tatsiana Sasnouskaya (ODU) def. (12) Ayana Akli (SC) 7-5, 6-4
2. (25) Sarah Hamner (SC) led Sofia Johnson (ODU) 4-6, 6-2, 4-0 suspended
3. Shahar Biran (ODU) def. Gracie Mulville (SC) 6-4, 6-2
4. Misa Malkin (SC) def. Alesya Yakubovich (ODU) 6-4, 6-3
5….