Feb. 9, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. - The No. 12 Auburn women's tennis team lost a tough fight to No. 6 Pepperdine in the opening round of the ITA Team National Indoor Championships in Madison, Wis.
In doubles, the Tigers fought until the final set. Pepperdine took the first match with a 6-3 win by Adrijana Lekaj and Laure Gulbe over Auburn's Georgie Axon and Alannah Griffin. Auburn proceeded to strike back with a 6-3 victory of their own by Taylor Russo and Madeline Meredith over Pepperdine's Evgeniya Levashova and Dzina Milovanovic. Russo and Meredith have proved to be a formidable duo as they have notched four wins at the two spot throughout the spring season.
Pepperdine clinched the point in dramatic fashion with a 7-6(4) tiebreaker victory by Ashley Lahey and Mayar Sherif Ahmed (PEPP) over Auburn's Jaeda Daniel and Alizee Michaud.
In singles, Pepperdine took the first victory with a 6-1,6-1 win by No. 20 Mayar Sherif Ahmed over Auburn's No. 86 Taylor Russo. Auburn responded with a 6-3, 6-1 victory by senior Alizee Michaud over Pepperdine's Laure Guble. That win brought Micaud up to a 5-1 singles record in her successful spring campaign.
Auburn kept the momentum going and evened the match with Andie Dikosavljevic's 7-6 (5), 7-5 victory over Pepperdine's No. 82 Dzina Milovanovic. Pepperdine then took back the lead with a 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 win from Evgeniya Levashova over Auburn's Madeline Meredith.
Pepperdine clinched the match with a 7-5, 2-6, 6-2 win by Adrijana Lekaj over Auburn's Georgie Axon. No. 49 Jaeda Daniel was in position to defeat Pepperdine's No. 27 Ashley Lahey, but the match concluded before their finish.
The Tigers will move to the consolation bracket for the rest of the tournament. They will be competing at 6:30 p.m. C.T. tomorrow in Nielsen Tennis Stadium in Madison Wis., but the opponent has not been determined.
No. 6 Pepperdine 4, No. 12 Auburn 2
Singles
No. 49 Jaeda Daniel (AUBURN) vs. No. 27 Ashley Lahey (PEPP) 5-7, 6-3, 5-2, uf
No. 20 Mayar Sherif Ahmed (PEPP) def. No. 86 Taylor Russo (AUBURN) 6-1, 6-1
Alizee Michaud (AUBURN) def. No. 75 Laure Guble 6-3, 6-1
Evgeniya Levashova (PEPP) def. Madeline Meredith (AUBURN) 6-3, 4-6, 6-1
Andie Dikosavljevic (AUBURN) def. No. 82 Dzina Milovanovic (PEPP) 7-6 (5), 7-5
Adrijana Lekaj (PEPP) def. Georgie Axon (AUBURN) 7-5, 2-6, 6-2
Doubles
Ashley Lahey/ Mayar Sherif Ahmed (PEPP) def. Jaeda Daniel/Alizee Michaud (AUBURN) 7-6 (4)
Madeline Meredith/Taylor Russo (AUBURN) def. Evgeniya Levashova/Dzina Milovanovic (PEPP) 6-3
Adrijana Lekaj/Laure Gulbe (PEPP) def. Georgie Axon/Alannah Griffin (AUBURN) 6-3
Order of Finish:
Singles - 2, 3, 5, 4, 6; Doubles - 3, 2, 1