TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The 20th-ranked Auburn women's tennis team came up short in a hard-fought battle with No. 12 Texas A&M Wednesday night, dropping a 4-2 decision in the SEC Tournament quarterfinals at the Alabama Tennis Stadium.
Auburn (13-8) fell behind 3-0 in the team match, got a pair of wins to cut the deficit to 3-2 and had the remaining two matches in third sets. But the Tigers could not complete the comeback as the Aggies clinched it with a win at the No. 6 singles spot.
"College tennis is an incredible environment, and what makes it even better is coaching a team that competes with character, grit and resilience," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "I wouldn't choose to coach any other team or any other group in the country. I am blessed to lead this program and humbled to work with these young women.
"Tonight, like every match this year, we earned opportunities. We remain steadfast in pursuing the process, realizing that we will always have long-term vision; a vision that allows us to play fearless tennis while remaining in the present moment. Our best tennis is ahead of us, and the solutions always come to those who seek them."
Texas A&M (18-6) moved ahead 1-0 with wins on courts two and three in doubles. The Aggies took the first match on court two as Selin Ovunc and Carolyn Ansari fell 6-3, then clinched the point at the third spot as a tough battle from Anastasia Astakhova and Yu Chen came up short in a 7-5 loss. The 75th-ranked tandem of Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach were leading A&M's 27th-ranked team of Goldsmith and Makarova, 6-5, when play was suspended.
The Aggies increased their lead to 3-0 with straight-set singles wins on courts three and five. Chen dropped a 6-1, 6-4 contest to Katya Townsend, and Flach fell 6-2, 6-1, to Renee McBryde.
But the Tigers would fight back. Ansari, ranked 72nd in the latest ITA release, got Auburn on the board with a 6-1, 7-6 (3) win over Jayci Goldsmith at the second singles spot. Just moments later, Axon took down Dorthea Faa-Hviding, 6-2, 6-3, to cut the deficit to 3-2.
Ovunc and Astakhova both won their first sets but were unable to keep up the momentum as their Aggie opponents forced third sets on both courts. The match on court six proved to be the clincher as Astakhova fell to Riley McQuaid, 2-6, 6-3, 6-1. Ovunc was down 6-4, 1-6, 1-3 to 18th-ranked Makarova when the match ended.
The Tigers will now await their postseason destination as the NCAA Tournament field will be announced on May 3. The first two rounds of the tournament are set for May 7-8 at campus sites around the country, and the NCAA Championships run May 16-28 at the USTA National Campus in Orlando, Fla.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#12 Texas A&M 4, #20 Auburn 2
Singles
1. #74 Selin Ovunc (AU) vs. #18 Tatiana Makarova (TAMU), 6-4, 1-6, 1-3 unfinished
2. #72 Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. Jayci Goldsmith (TAMU), 6-1, 7-6
3. Katya Townsend (TAMU) def. #94 Yu Chen (AU), 6-1, 6-4
4. Georgie Axon (AU) def. Dorthea Faa-Hviding (TAMU), 6-2, 6-3
5. Renee McBryde (TAMU) def. Adeline Flach (AU), 6-2, 6-1
6. Riley McQuaid (TAMU) def. Anastasia Astakhova (AU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 5, 3, 2, 4, 6
Doubles
1. #75 Axon/Flach (AU) vs. #27 Goldsmith/Makarova (TAMU), 6-5 unfinished
2. McBryde/Faa-Hviding (TAMU) def. Ansari/Ovunc (AU), 6-3
3. Townsend/McQuaid (TAMU) def. Astakhova/Chen (AU), 7-5
Order of finish: 2, 3
