Sunday, April 9
College Station
11:00 AM
Texas A&M
4
vs
2
Kentucky
Photo by: Sam Craft/Texas A&M Athletics
Aggies Get Crucial 4-2 Victory over No. 11 Kentucky
Apr 09, 2017 | Women's Tennis
COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The No. 22 Texas A&M women's tennis team posted a crucial 4-2 victory over 11th-ranked Kentucky in the Aggies' final Southeastern Conference home match of the season today at the George P. Mitchell Tennis Center.
Texas A&M improves to 12-11, including 4-7 in the SEC, following its fifth victory against a Top 25 opponent this season. With only four matches remaining in the regular season—including two against non-conference opponent Prairie View A&M later today to close out the Aggies' home slate—as well as at least one match at the single-elimination SEC Tournament, the victory against the Wildcats helps Texas A&M remain in contention to qualify for the NCAA Championship, which requires at least a .500 winning percentage.
Kentucky, which let a 3-1 lead slip away in a 4-3 loss at LSU on Friday, suffers a second consecutive lost for the first time this season and falls to 15-5 overall and 7-4 in SEC play.
For the third time this season, Texas A&M won the match despite dropping the doubles point. Kentucky quickly gained the early momentum, as Morgan Chumney and Akvile Parazinskaite defeated A&M's Domenica Gonzalez and Eva Paalma, 6-2, at the No. 2 court. The senior Aggie duo of Saska Gavrilovska and Stefania Hristov evened the fight for the doubles point, winning two consecutive no-ad points to defeat Emily Fanning and Justina Mikulskyte at No. 3. It was the 90th career doubles victory for Hristov, moving her into sole possession of eighth place in the Aggie career record books.
In a battle of top-10 ranked opponents, Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi went up a break at 5-4 against A&M's sixth-ranked Rutuja Bhosale and Rachel Pierson and then held serve to close out the 6-4 victory at the No. 1 line and clinch the point for Kentucky.
The Wildcats carried the momentum into singles and built an early lead on several courts. The Aggies, however, would rally and win the first set on four courts.
Bhosale evened the team score at 1-1, breaking Parazinskaite to close out a 6-4 first-set win at No. 2 and then winning five consecutive games during a 6-1 second-set win.
Kentucky regained the lead, 2-1, after Chumney downed Paalma, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 6.
Macarena Olivares got down a break right away but then won six consecutive games to win her first set, 6-2, against Mikulskyte at No. 5. Olivares then held a 5-2 lead in the second set, but Mikulskyte rallied, winning four games, including two no-ad points to go up 6-5. Olivares held serve to even the set at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker was tied four times, the last coming at 5-5 before Olivares won two consecutive points to cap the win and tie the team score at 2-2.
Pierson, coming off the highest ranked win of her career following her straight-set victory against fourth-ranked Astra Sharma of Vanderbilt on Friday, gave the Aggies their first lead with a clutch win over 17th-ranked Sutjiadi at the No. 1 line. Pierson, ranked 38th, breezed to a 6-0 first-set win, but Sutjiadi rebounded to win the second set, 6-2. Sutjiadi was up a break at 4-2 in the decisive third set when Pierson began her comeback. The Princeton, New Jersey, native broke back to get within 4-3 and then held serve after winning a no-ad point to tie the set at 4-4. Pierson then broke Sutjiadi for the second time and took her first lead in the set, 5-4. Pierson then won another no-ad point to close out a 6-4 victory that put A&M up, 3-2.
At the No. 3 line, Gonzalez was down a break in the first set against Adachi but put the set back on serve at 4-4. Gonzalez held serve to go up 5-4 and then broke Adachi for a second time to get the 6-4 win.
Gonzalez jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second set, but Adachi won five of the next six games to take a 6-5 lead. Gonzalez got a break to tie the set at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker.
Neither player held more than a two-point lead in the tiebreaker. Adachi jumped out to a 3-1 lead, and Gonzalez took her first lead at 6-5 and was serving for the match but double-faulted. Adachi then won the next point to go up, 7-6, before Gonzalez scored the next two points to win, 9-7, and clinch the victory for the Aggies.
Gavrilovska, after dropping her first set, 6-2, to Fanning at No. 4, came back to earn a split by winning the second set, 7-5. Gavrilovska held a 2-1 lead in the third set when Gonzalez secured the team victory and the match was stopped.
The Aggies close out their regular season schedule next weekend, taking on No. 24 Tennessee on Friday in Knoxville and No. 2 Georgia on Sunday in Athens. The SEC Tournament is April 19-23 in Nashville.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Aggie-Womens-Tennis/143874782434654
Post-match quotes
Texas A&M Head Coach Mark Weaver
On getting the win against No. 11 Kentucky…
"It was such an important win for our program today. The girls just made up their minds; they were going to get it done today. It was nothing but perseverance, determination and grit that got it done today. There was so much to play for today, NCAA implications in the way, and this got us over the hurdle of the .500 rule. We are going to put ourselves in position to potentially host the first two rounds of the NCAAs. It's truly just been blood baths in all of these matches all year. Some have gone our way and some haven't, but we were just kind of due our time today. We've had so many close ones that just haven't gone our way, and I couldn't be more proud of the girls of how strong they have been as a team and supported each other. We've all just really pulled together. If we didn't have the character that we've shown, there is no chance we beat a team as good as Kentucky today."
On the momentum shift…
"In a way the match looked like the year was playing out in front of us with the doubles and getting down early in the first sets of the singles. They had some momentum, but we just truly hung in there and made our minds up that we weren't going to take anything less than putting four points on the scoreboard. It was just truly an amazing effort. The fact that all three doubles teams and all six singles courts really dug into the matches and were in there, it really made a big difference in the end and I couldn't be happier and more proud of the group.
"In a small way, the pressure (of qualifying for NCAAs) is off, but we aren't done yet. We are looking forward to the Tennessee-Georgia trip and we are looking forward to a great opportunity at the SEC Tournament. We are really starting to turn things on, and there is no team that has had a tougher road than we have, and it has done nothing but toughen us up. We have a very, very good tennis team and we are really starting to shine when we need it. There is still more to come."
Tennis Match Results
Kentucky vs Texas A&M
4/9/2017 at College Station, Texas
(George P. Mitchell Tennis Center)
#22 Texas A&M 4, #11 Kentucky 2
Singles competition
1. #38 Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. #17 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
2. #107 Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) def. Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) 6-4, 6-1
3. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M) def. Mami Adachi (UK) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
4. Saska Gavrilovska (A&M) vs. Emily Fanning (UK) 2-6, 7-5, 2-1, unfinished
5. Macarena Olivares (A&M) def. Justina Mikulskyte (UK) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
6. Morgan Chumney (UK) def. Eva Paalma (A&M) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #2 Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) def. #6 Rutuja Bhosale/Rachel Pierson (A&M) 6-4
2. Morgan Chumney/Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. Domenica Gonzalez/Eva Paalma (A&M) 6-2
3. Saska Gavrilovska/Stefania Hristov (A&M) def. Emily Fanning/Justina Mikulskyte (UK) 6-4
Match Notes:
Kentucky 15-5, 7-4 SEC; National ranking #11
Texas A&M 12-11, 4-7 SEC; National ranking #22
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,6,5,1,3)
Pronunciations
Rutuja Bhosale rue-too-jah BO-slay
Tina Bokhua BO-kwah
Saska Gavrilovska SAUSH-ka gav-ril-ohv-ska
Stefania Hristov steff-on-ya RIS-tov
Eva Paalma A-va palma
Texas A&M improves to 12-11, including 4-7 in the SEC, following its fifth victory against a Top 25 opponent this season. With only four matches remaining in the regular season—including two against non-conference opponent Prairie View A&M later today to close out the Aggies' home slate—as well as at least one match at the single-elimination SEC Tournament, the victory against the Wildcats helps Texas A&M remain in contention to qualify for the NCAA Championship, which requires at least a .500 winning percentage.
Kentucky, which let a 3-1 lead slip away in a 4-3 loss at LSU on Friday, suffers a second consecutive lost for the first time this season and falls to 15-5 overall and 7-4 in SEC play.
For the third time this season, Texas A&M won the match despite dropping the doubles point. Kentucky quickly gained the early momentum, as Morgan Chumney and Akvile Parazinskaite defeated A&M's Domenica Gonzalez and Eva Paalma, 6-2, at the No. 2 court. The senior Aggie duo of Saska Gavrilovska and Stefania Hristov evened the fight for the doubles point, winning two consecutive no-ad points to defeat Emily Fanning and Justina Mikulskyte at No. 3. It was the 90th career doubles victory for Hristov, moving her into sole possession of eighth place in the Aggie career record books.
In a battle of top-10 ranked opponents, Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi went up a break at 5-4 against A&M's sixth-ranked Rutuja Bhosale and Rachel Pierson and then held serve to close out the 6-4 victory at the No. 1 line and clinch the point for Kentucky.
The Wildcats carried the momentum into singles and built an early lead on several courts. The Aggies, however, would rally and win the first set on four courts.
Bhosale evened the team score at 1-1, breaking Parazinskaite to close out a 6-4 first-set win at No. 2 and then winning five consecutive games during a 6-1 second-set win.
Kentucky regained the lead, 2-1, after Chumney downed Paalma, 6-2, 6-4, at No. 6.
Macarena Olivares got down a break right away but then won six consecutive games to win her first set, 6-2, against Mikulskyte at No. 5. Olivares then held a 5-2 lead in the second set, but Mikulskyte rallied, winning four games, including two no-ad points to go up 6-5. Olivares held serve to even the set at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. The tiebreaker was tied four times, the last coming at 5-5 before Olivares won two consecutive points to cap the win and tie the team score at 2-2.
Pierson, coming off the highest ranked win of her career following her straight-set victory against fourth-ranked Astra Sharma of Vanderbilt on Friday, gave the Aggies their first lead with a clutch win over 17th-ranked Sutjiadi at the No. 1 line. Pierson, ranked 38th, breezed to a 6-0 first-set win, but Sutjiadi rebounded to win the second set, 6-2. Sutjiadi was up a break at 4-2 in the decisive third set when Pierson began her comeback. The Princeton, New Jersey, native broke back to get within 4-3 and then held serve after winning a no-ad point to tie the set at 4-4. Pierson then broke Sutjiadi for the second time and took her first lead in the set, 5-4. Pierson then won another no-ad point to close out a 6-4 victory that put A&M up, 3-2.
At the No. 3 line, Gonzalez was down a break in the first set against Adachi but put the set back on serve at 4-4. Gonzalez held serve to go up 5-4 and then broke Adachi for a second time to get the 6-4 win.
Gonzalez jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the second set, but Adachi won five of the next six games to take a 6-5 lead. Gonzalez got a break to tie the set at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker.
Neither player held more than a two-point lead in the tiebreaker. Adachi jumped out to a 3-1 lead, and Gonzalez took her first lead at 6-5 and was serving for the match but double-faulted. Adachi then won the next point to go up, 7-6, before Gonzalez scored the next two points to win, 9-7, and clinch the victory for the Aggies.
Gavrilovska, after dropping her first set, 6-2, to Fanning at No. 4, came back to earn a split by winning the second set, 7-5. Gavrilovska held a 2-1 lead in the third set when Gonzalez secured the team victory and the match was stopped.
The Aggies close out their regular season schedule next weekend, taking on No. 24 Tennessee on Friday in Knoxville and No. 2 Georgia on Sunday in Athens. The SEC Tournament is April 19-23 in Nashville.
Visit 12thMan.com for more information on Texas A&M women's tennis. Aggie fans also can keep up to date with the A&M women's tennis team on Twitter by following @AggieWTEN or on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/?ref=tn_tnmn#!/pages/Aggie-Womens-Tennis/143874782434654
Post-match quotes
Texas A&M Head Coach Mark Weaver
On getting the win against No. 11 Kentucky…
"It was such an important win for our program today. The girls just made up their minds; they were going to get it done today. It was nothing but perseverance, determination and grit that got it done today. There was so much to play for today, NCAA implications in the way, and this got us over the hurdle of the .500 rule. We are going to put ourselves in position to potentially host the first two rounds of the NCAAs. It's truly just been blood baths in all of these matches all year. Some have gone our way and some haven't, but we were just kind of due our time today. We've had so many close ones that just haven't gone our way, and I couldn't be more proud of the girls of how strong they have been as a team and supported each other. We've all just really pulled together. If we didn't have the character that we've shown, there is no chance we beat a team as good as Kentucky today."
On the momentum shift…
"In a way the match looked like the year was playing out in front of us with the doubles and getting down early in the first sets of the singles. They had some momentum, but we just truly hung in there and made our minds up that we weren't going to take anything less than putting four points on the scoreboard. It was just truly an amazing effort. The fact that all three doubles teams and all six singles courts really dug into the matches and were in there, it really made a big difference in the end and I couldn't be happier and more proud of the group.
"In a small way, the pressure (of qualifying for NCAAs) is off, but we aren't done yet. We are looking forward to the Tennessee-Georgia trip and we are looking forward to a great opportunity at the SEC Tournament. We are really starting to turn things on, and there is no team that has had a tougher road than we have, and it has done nothing but toughen us up. We have a very, very good tennis team and we are really starting to shine when we need it. There is still more to come."
Tennis Match Results
Kentucky vs Texas A&M
4/9/2017 at College Station, Texas
(George P. Mitchell Tennis Center)
#22 Texas A&M 4, #11 Kentucky 2
Singles competition
1. #38 Rachel Pierson (A&M) def. #17 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) 6-0, 2-6, 6-4
2. #107 Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) def. Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) 6-4, 6-1
3. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M) def. Mami Adachi (UK) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
4. Saska Gavrilovska (A&M) vs. Emily Fanning (UK) 2-6, 7-5, 2-1, unfinished
5. Macarena Olivares (A&M) def. Justina Mikulskyte (UK) 6-2, 7-6 (7-5)
6. Morgan Chumney (UK) def. Eva Paalma (A&M) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #2 Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) def. #6 Rutuja Bhosale/Rachel Pierson (A&M) 6-4
2. Morgan Chumney/Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. Domenica Gonzalez/Eva Paalma (A&M) 6-2
3. Saska Gavrilovska/Stefania Hristov (A&M) def. Emily Fanning/Justina Mikulskyte (UK) 6-4
Match Notes:
Kentucky 15-5, 7-4 SEC; National ranking #11
Texas A&M 12-11, 4-7 SEC; National ranking #22
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (2,6,5,1,3)
Pronunciations
Rutuja Bhosale rue-too-jah BO-slay
Tina Bokhua BO-kwah
Saska Gavrilovska SAUSH-ka gav-ril-ohv-ska
Stefania Hristov steff-on-ya RIS-tov
Eva Paalma A-va palma
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ 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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