Auburn's run at the ITA Fall National Championships came to an end, and the Tigers picked up two singles wins at the Seminole All-Conference Showdown in women's tennis action Saturday.
In Newport Beach, Calif., the doubles team of freshman Selin Ovunc and senior Taylor Russo saw their run through the consolation doubles bracket end with a 6-3, 6-2 loss to Yale's No. 29-ranked team of Jessie Gong and Samantha Martinelli in the semifinals.
"Today wasn't the ideal end of the fall season for Taylor and Selin," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "The lack of grit and fight isn't something that sits well. When the going gets tough this program is going to learn to punch back, to dig out of the pit one inch at a time. Right now we don't choose to do that on a consistent basis in practice, so we aren't prepared to rise in matches. Disappointing to say the least, but lessons can be learned and will be learned moving forward."
In Tallahassee, Fla., sophomore Yu Chen and junior Lindsay Song each picked up a win in singles at the Seminole All-Conference showdown. Chen won her bracket semifinal match over Clemson's Elena Louki 6-4, 6-2, and will play in the bracket final Sunday. Song dropped her first-round match, which had been rescheduled from Friday, but bounced back with a 6-3, 6-3 win over South Carolina's Kendall Couch in consolation play.
Chen and Song fell short in the doubles final of their bracket with a 6-1 loss to Das and Salas of Florida State.
The fall tennis season concludes Sunday with one more singles match for Chen and Song in Tallahassee.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Auburn Women's Tennis Results – Saturday, Nov. 9
ITA Fall National Championships
Doubles
#29 Gong/Martinelli (YALE) def. Ovunc/Russo (AU), 6-3, 6-2
Seminole All-Conference Showdown
Singles
Yu Chen (AU) def. Elena Louki (CLEM), 6-4, 6-2
Christin Hsieh (ISU) def. Lindsay Song (AU), 2-6, 6-1, 1-0 (6)
Lindsay Song (AU) def. Kendall Couch (SC), 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
Das/Salas (FSU) def. Chen/Song (AU), 6-1