MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 37th-ranked Auburn women's tennis team closed out non-conference play Saturday afternoon with a pair of victories over Fresno State and Alabama at the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic.
The Tigers (13-2) defeated Fresno State 4-1 in the resumption of a match that began Friday night, then held on to win a 4-3 thriller over #43 Alabama in the teams' final match of the weekend.
Senior Alannah Griffin provided the clinching victory in both matches at the No. 5 singles spot. In the win over Alabama, she fought back from a set down to the Tide's Luca Fabian to force a third set, then with the team score tied 3-3, she held off a late charge to win 4-6, 6-0, 6-4. Against Fresno State earlier in the day, Griffin won in straight sets over the Bulldogs' Georgia Lawson, 6-2, 6-4, to give the Tigers their fourth point and secure the victory.
Sophomore Madeline Meredith turned in a 3-0 day for the Tigers, winning both of her singles matches and teaming with Jaeda Daniel for a doubles victory. Meredith and Daniel clinched the doubles point against Alabama with a 7-5 win at the No. 2 spot, then Meredith put Auburn on the board in singles with a 6-4, 6-3 win over the Tide's Moka Ito. She also gave Auburn its first singles win against Fresno State with a 7-5, 6-0 win on court two.
The 43rd-ranked doubles team of freshman Sophia Graver and junior Taylor Russo was unbeaten in three matches on the weekend, including a pair of key wins Saturday. They won their match against the top Fresno State team 6-2, then defeated Alabama's No. 1 pairing, 6-4. Graver also picked up a singles win against Fresno State, fighting back from a set down for a 4-6, 6-2, 6-2 win at the No. 3 singles line. Russo picked up a big singles victory against Alabama, defeating Ann Selim 6-4, 6-3 to give Auburn a 3-1 lead.
The Tigers will begin Southeastern Conference play next weekend with road trips to No. 21 Texas A&M and No. 16 LSU. Auburn will face the Aggies at 5 p.m. Friday in College Station, then head to Baton Rouge to face LSU at noon Sunday.
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#37 Auburn 4, Fresno State 1
Singles
1. Jennifer Timotin (FS) def. #75 Jaeda Daniel (AU), 6-3, 6-4
2. Madeline Meredith (AU) def. Ella Husrefovic (FS), 7-5, 6-0
3. Sophia Graver (AU) def. Deniza Marcinkevica (FS), 4-6, 6-2, 6-2
4. Taylor Russo (AU) vs. A.C. Hummel (FS), 7-6, 3-6, 2-4 unfinished
5. Alannah Griffin (AU) def. Georgia Lawson (FS), 6-2, 6-4
6. Yu Chen (AU) vs. Shir Azran (FS), 6-4, 1-1 unfinished
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3, 5
Doubles
1. #43 Graver/Russo (AU) def. Lawson/Timotin (FS), 6-2
2. Meredith/Daniel (AU) vs. Husrefovic/Marcinkevica (FS), 5-5 unfinished
3. Chen/Griffin (AU) def. Hummel/Azran (FS), 6-3
Order of finish: 1, 3
#37 Auburn 4, #43 Alabama 3
Singles
1. #62 Andie Daniell (UA) def. #75 Jaeda Daniel (AU), 6-4, 7-6 (3)
2. Madeline Meredith (AU) def. Moka Ito (UA), 6-4, 6-3
3. Alba Cortina Pou (UA) def. Sophia Graver (AU), 6-1, 6-2
4. Taylor Russo (AU) def. Ann Selim (UA), 6-3, 6-4
5. Alannah Griffin (AU) def. Luca Fabian (UA), 4-6, 6-0, 6-4
6. Kimberley Gintrand (UA) def. Yu Chen (AU), 6-3, 7-5
Order of finish: 3, 2, 4, 1, 6, 5
Doubles
1. #43 Graver/Russo (AU) def. Daniell/Ito (UA), 6-4
2. Meredith/Daniel (AU) def. Fabian/Cortina Pou (UA), 7-5
3. Selim/Gintrand (UA) def. Chen/Griffin (AU), 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2