Jain Clinches ITA Kickoff Opener, 4-3 – Women’s Tennis — Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Georgia Tech rallied from a 3-1 deficit to take the opening match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend, 4-3, against No. 24 Wisconsin on Friday afternoon at the Boar’s Head Sports Club. With the win, the Yellow Jackets advance to the championship match to face host and No. 11 Virginia for a spot in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships.

Doubles
Georgia Tech gained momentum quickly in doubles to take the point and early match lead. Given Roach and Scarlett Nicholson teamed up on court three to dominate Xinyu Cai and Kaja Jacobson. The pair dropped the first two games of the match, but won the next six to take the win, 6-2. Tech clinched the doubles point on court two where Kylie Bilchev and Alejandra Cruz pocketed a 6-4 win over Taylor Cataldi and Ariel Johnson. The teams were tied at 2-2 before the Jackets grabbed the lead and never looked back. Carol Lee and Kate Sharabura led 5-4 on court one when the point was clinched.

Singles
Wisconsin quickly erased its deficit and won the first three singles matches to take the lead, 3-1. Alina Mukhortova evened the match at 1-all from court two where the Badger edged Bilchev, 6-4, 6-3, before Wisconsin took its first lead with a win on three. As Cruz battled Cataldi on court three, the Badger took control out of the gate and pocketed the match, 6-3, 6-4.

The Badgers cushioned their lead with a straight-set decision on court four as Cai defeated Roach, 6-3, 6-2, for a 3-1 match lead before Georgia Tech began to rally back.

Competing at the top court, Lee snapped the Wisconsin momentum, cruising to a straight-set win over Maria Sholokova. Lee trailed early in the first set, 3-4, but responded to even the opening set at 5-all. Knotted at 6-6, Lee led in the tiebreak 3-2, and continued to hold the advantage to take the opener, 7-6 (7-4). The Jacket carried momentum into the second set and sealed the win, 7-6 (4), 6-3, to setup a 3-2 match score.

All eyes turned to courts five and six where Georgia Tech needed both to clinch the match. Court six wrapped up first as Nicholson captured a pair of tiebreak sets to down Rosie Garcia Gross. In the first set, Nicholson trailed 5-2, but won the next three games to even the set at 5-all. The opponents traded games to force a tiebreak at 6-6. Nicholson held the slight edge to pull out the first set, 7-6 (7-5). It was a back-and-forth battle in the second set as Nicholson and Garcia Gross traded games to a 5-5 standstill. The Badger would take the lead at 6-5,…