MONTGOMERY, Ala. – The 31st-ranked Auburn women's tennis team dug itself out of an early hole in singles to fight back for a 4-2 win over Arizona Friday morning in the first round of the Blue-Gray National Tennis Classic at Lagoon Park.
The Tigers (7-1) dropped the first sets on five of six singles courts but were able to force third sets on three of those, pushing their way to victories in all three matches to clinch the win over the Wildcats (5-4).
"There are some positives and some major areas of growth from today's matches," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "Arizona came out and popped us in the mouth in the first sets of singles. I love how we responded, with poise and competitiveness, to find our way back in. We played aggressive tennis down the stretch and because of our resilience, we earned opportunities to attack."
Auburn also began its semifinal match against No. 19 Wake Forest with doubles late Friday afternoon. The Demon Deacons captured the doubles point to take a 1-0 lead with singles to be played Saturday.
"Synergy and cohesiveness are essential to any effective doubles team," Lilley said. "Doubles is about making your partner better because she plays with you and not with someone else. Great doubles teams are a team, regarless of what the scoreboard reads, and they find a way to communicate at their best in pressure situations. I have to do a better job as the leader of this program of making sure we all understand what the expectation level is in regards to how we work together to be solution-focused."
Due to cold weather and a late start, the match with Arizona began with singles play. Georgie Axon got the Tigers on the board first with a 6-1, 6-1 win on court 4 over UA's Khim Iglupas. But the Wildcats responded with wins on courts 5 and 6 to take a 2-1 lead – Auburn's Carolyn Ansari fell 6-2, 6-3 at the No. 5 spot, and Caraline Scheufler dropped a 6-1, 6-4 decision at No. 6.
Meanwhile, Arizona had won the first sets on each of the top three courts. But Auburn fought back to claim the second sets on all three. Selin Ovunc tied the score 2-2 as she prevailed over Kirsten Prelle, 3-6, 6-3, 6-3. Taylor Russo put the Tigers in front at the top singles spot with a 3-6, 6-4, 6-4 win over Talya Zandberg. And Yu Chen finished off the comeback with a 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 win over Abby Amos at the No. 3 spot to clinch the victory for Auburn.
In doubles against Wake Forest, Auburn's No. 9-ranked team of Russo and Ovunc fell to Wake's 11th-ranked Eilza Omirou and Mary Caroline Meredith, 6-3. The Demon Deacons clinched the point on court 3 as Auburn's Ansari and Lindsay Song fell to Wake's Anna Brylin and Saby Nihalani, 6-1. Auburn's team of Axon and Madeline Meredith on court 2 was leading 5-2 when play was halted.
The match with Wake Forest will resume with singles at 9 a.m. Saturday at Lagoon Park. The winner of that match will face the winner of Yale and No. 5 Princeton for the Blue-Gray Classic championship. Live scoring and tournament information are available at BlueGrayTennis.com.
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#31 Auburn 4, Arizona 2
Singles
1. #78 Taylor Russo (AU) def. Talya Zandberg (ARIZ), 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
2. Selin Ovunc (AU) def. Kirsten Prelle (ARIZ), 3-6, 6-3, 6-3
3. Yu Chen (AU) def. Abby Amos (ARIZ), 4-6, 6-4, 6-2
4. Georgie Axon (AU) def. Khim Iglupas (ARIZ), 6-1, 6-1
5. Gitta Heynemans (ARIZ) def. Carolyn Ansari (AU), 6-2, 6-3
6. Kayla Wilkins (ARIZ) def. Caraline Scheufler (AU), 6-1, 6-4
Order of finish: 4, 5, 6, 2, 1, 3
(Doubles not played)