Women’s tennis completes fall slate at Thunderbird Invite

TEMPE, Ariz. – Auburn women's tennis finished their fall slate on Sunday at the Thunderbird Invite. The Tigers went a perfect three-for-three in doubles play over the weekend as the Auburn duo of Adeline Flach and Kaitlyn Carnicella defeated Marianna Argyrokastriti and Rachel Hanford from host school Arizona State on Friday, California's Hannah Viller Moeller and Makenna Thiel on Saturday, as well as Nicole Hammond and Andrea Cerdan from Michigan on Sunday.
 
The team of Flach and Carnicella finished the fall with four doubles victories while Carnicella finished with eight victories in doubles play individually.
 
"We had some opportunities today and started the morning playing some traditional doubles," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said after the tournament. "The difference at a high level is very small, and decisions make a big difference. Our intent was good for the most part, but we will take advantage of our off season to work hard on our execution."
 
After each of Auburn's participants won their singles match on Saturday, all three Tigers were defeated in their singles matches on Sunday. On Saturday, junior Anastasia Astakhova took her match over Erin Richardson from California 7-5, 6-2 while Flach defeated California's Makenna Thiel 6-4, 4-6, 6-4. Freshman Kaitlyn Carnicella also picked up her seventh singles victory of the fall over Valentina Ivanov from California 5-7, 6-4, 6-3.
 
"This is just the starting point. A lot of progress can be made from now until January, progress that is completely within our control," Coach Lilley said. "The fall gives us valuable information to enter our winter segment hungry to work and improve."
 
Now that the fall season is over, the Tigers will begin their spring schedule after the start of the new year in 2023.
 
 
Auburn results:
 
Friday:
Flach/Carnicella (Auburn) def. Argyrokastriti/Hanford (ASU), 6-2
Lucia Marzal Martinez (Ohio State), 6-4, 6-0 def. Kaitlyn Carnicella (Auburn)
6-4, 6-0
Danielle Willson (Ohio State), 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 def. Adeline Flach (Auburn) def. 6-2,
3-6, 6-3
Makenna Thiel (California) def. Anastasia Astakhova (Auburn) 7-5, 6-1
 
Saturday:
Flach/Carnicella (Auburn) def. Viller Moeller/Thiel (California), 6-0
Kaitlyn Carnicella (Auburn) def. Valentina Ivanov (California), 5-7, 6-4, 6-3
Adeline Flach (Auburn) def. Makenna Thiel (California), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
Anastasia Astakhova (Auburn) def. Erin Richardson (California), 7-5, 6-2
 
Sunday:
Flach/Carnicella (Auburn) def. Hammond/Cerdan (Michigan), 6-4
Giulia Morlet (ASU) def. Kaitlyn Carnicella (Auburn), 6-4, 6-2
Rachel Hanford (ASU) def. Anastasia Astakhova (Auburn), 5-7, 6-2, 6-1
Sedona Gallagher (ASU) def. Adeline Flach (Auburn), 6-2, 6-4