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Auburn,
Kentucky,
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Mississippi State,
Ole Miss,
Texas A&M,
Wake Forest,
Weekend PreviewIt was senior day in Raleigh but unfortunately for the host Wolfpack they only had five healthy players and their opponent happened to be No. 1 Wake Forest. Wake took the doubles point after only dropping three games and then the Deacs won five of six matches in singles with NC State freshman Alexis Galarneau salvaging the day for the Pack with a win over Borna Gojo at No. 2.
The women’s SEC Tournament in Nashville had it all on Thursday with three matches coming down to the final court and one that started outside on the back courts and then and finished inside on just five courts after the rain came. Mississippi State won the opener over Tennessee 4-1 and then Auburn’s Andie Dikosavljevic came back from *4-1 and *5-4 down in the third set of the deciding match at No. 1 to propel the Tigers past Arkansas 4-3 in a match that took over four hours.
The third match of the day between LSU and Texas A&M started doubles on the back courts due to the Auburn/Arkansas match running long and then once singles started they could only use four courts for the same reason. A little past the midway point of singles, with rain on the horizon, they moved indoors to Vanderbilt’s five-court indoor facility. Texas A&M managed to go ahead 3-2 but LSU’s Ryann Foster won in straight sets at No. 3 to tie it up and then a short while later Joana Valle Costa clinched the match by breaking Rutuja Bhosale to win 7-6, 1-6, 6-4.
The final match of the day was played entirely indoors and after Ole Miss took the doubles point Kentucky came back and took all five first sets in singles (and later added a sixth). Kentucky finished three of the matches in straight sets to go up 3-1 but Ole Miss managed to come and win two in three sets to tie it up at 3-3. The final match to go on court would be the decider as Kentucky’s Morgan Chumney won in straight sets to give Kentucky the 4-3 win.
#1 Wake Forest 6, NC State 1
Apr 20, 2017 at Raleigh, N.C. (J.W. Isenhour Tennis Center)
Singles results
1. #3 Petros Chrysochos (WF) def. #76 Nick Horton (ST) 6-4, 6-4
2. #119 Alexis Galarneau (ST) def. #45 Borna Gojo (WF) 6-3, 5-7, 1-0 (12-10)
3. #15 Skander Mansouri (WF) def. Igor Saveljic (ST) 7-5, 6-4
4. #69 Christian Seraphim (WF) def. Ivan Saveljic (ST) 6-1, 6-2
5. Dennis Uspensky (WF) def. Sean Burnette (ST) 6-2, 6-2
6. Alan Gadjiev (WF) def. No player (ST), by forfeit
Doubles results
1. #1 Skander Mansouri/Christian Seraphim (WF) def. #53 Alexis Galarneau/Nick Horton (ST) 6-2
2. Borna Gojo/Alan Gadjiev (WF) def. Igor Saveljic/Ivan Saveljic (ST) 6-1
3. Petros Chrysochos/Dennis Uspensky (WF) def. No player/No player (ST), by forfeit
Match Notes:
Wake Forest 23-1 (10-0 ACC); National ranking #1
NC State 13-13 (4-7 ACC)
Order of finish: Doubles (23,1); Singles (6,4,5,1,3,2)
T-2:24 A-103
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#20 Mississippi State 4, #23 Tennessee 1
Apr 20, 2017 at Nashville, Tenn. (Currey Tennis Center)
Singles results
1. #10 Jasmine Lee (MSU) def. #42 Brittany Lindl (UT), 6-4, 6-0
2. Eve Repic (UT) vs. Lisa Marie Rioux (MSU), 1-6, 6-3, 5-3 unf.
3. Madison Harrison (MSU) def. Sadie Hammond (UT), 6-0, 6-2
4. Ariadna Riley (UT) vs. Anastasia Rentouli (MSU), 2-6, 7-6 (6), 1-0 unf.
5. Johanna Silva (UT) def. Khrystyna Vozniak (MSU), 6-3, 6-2
6. Sara Lizariturry (MSU) def. Gabby Schuck (UT), 6-2, 3-6, 6-2
Doubles results
1. #5 Lee/Rioux (MSU) def. #76 Repic/Lindl (UT), 6-1
2. Schuck/Hammond (UT) def. Brown/Vozniak (MSU), 6-3
3. Lizariturry/Harrison (MSU) def. Silva/Riley (UT), 7-5
Match Notes
Order of Finish: Doubles (1, 2, 3); Singles (3, 1, 5, 6)
Quote from MSU’s recap
“It was a tough battle and both teams put up a tremendous fight,” head coach Daryl Greenan said. “I am proud of my girls for stepping up and winning some key points. We compete hard every time we step on the court and it shows in our results. This was a big win for us and puts us in a good position to have a strong postseason.”
Quotes from Tennessee’s recap
“Our main goal was to come out, compete and bring a lot of energy, and we did that,” head coach Alison Ojeda said after the match. “We played a good Mississippi State team that is just better than us. We did a heck of a job almost pulling it out. We fought, so we are proud of ourselves for that.”
“There was a point in the match where I felt like we could lose fairly handily,” assistant coach Ty Schaub said. “Then, we scratched and clawed our way back into the match and a made a battle out of it. For that, I am really proud of the girls for fighting the way we did.”
“We are excited to be where we are,” Schaub said. “We have put ourselves in a good position going into the NCAA Tournament. We have to bounce back and get excited for the tournament. We are in a really good position to make a run. We have a lot to be motivated for once we are done taking a few days off.”
“We are going to take some time off,” Ojeda said about preparing for the tournament. “We have some players who could really benefit from some time off. Rarely in a season do you get to take four to six days off. I think we can afford to do that. We will watch film and do other things to get ready. To prepare for NCAAs, we need to freshen up. We will go back to practice and work hard.
“Our message to the girls will be that two out of the last three years, this has been the end of the season for Tennessee. For the majority of the country, this is it. They are done, and we aren’t. We set some high goals at the beginning of the season and competing in the NCAA Tournament was one of them.”
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#12 Auburn 4, #14 Arkansas 3
Apr 20, 2017 at Nashville, Tenn. (Currey Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #34 Andie Dikosavljevic (AU) def. #43 Shannon Hudson (AR) 6-7 (8-10), 6-4, 7-5
2. #26 Alizee Michaud (AU) def. #70 Ana Oparenovic (AR) 0-6, 6-2, 7-5
3. #114 Léolia Jeanjean (AR) def. #124 Taylor Russo (AU) 6-1, 6-2
4. Giulia Pairone (AR) def. Georgie Axon (AU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Mia Jurasic (AR) def. Roos van der Zwaan (AU) 7-6 (7-0), 6-4
6. Alannah Griffin (AU) def. Sasha Shkorupeieva (AR) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. #60 Léolia Jeanjean/Giulia Pairone (AR) def. #18 Taylor Russo/Alizee Michaud (AU) 6-3
2. Andie Dikosavljevic/Alannah Griffin (AU) def. Mia Jurasic/Ana Oparenovic (AR) 7-6 (7-5)
3. #46 Georgie Axon/Caroline Turner (AU) def. Shannon Hudson/Natsuho Arakawa (AR) 7-5
Match Notes
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (3,4,6,5,2,1)
Quotes from Auburn’s recap
“I am extremely proud of our girls for bouncing back to beat a really good Arkansas team today,” Auburn head coach Lauren Spencer said. “We really focused on the doubles point today, because we knew it would be crucial and it was. Allie and Andie stepped up for this team, just like they have all season and I am really proud of them. Now we have to regroup and get ready for a battle with Georgia tomorrow.”
“Andie stepped up big for us again today,” Spencer said. “This was one of the toughest match that I have seen her play and with her back against the wall, she pulled it out.”
Quote from Arkansas’s recap
“What an incredible effort from both teams today,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “We gave it all we had, and there’s no question we’re extremely well prepared for the NCAA Tournament.”
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#21 LSU 4, #17 Texas A&M 3
Apr 20, 2017 at Nashville, Tenn. (Currey Tennis Center)
Singles results
1. #21 Jade Lewis (LSU) def. #19 Rachel Pierson (A&M) 6-0, 5-7, 6-2
2. #66 Joana Valle Costa (LSU) def. #51 Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) 7-6, 1-6, 6-4
3. Ryann Foster (LSU) def. Domenica Gonzalez (A&M) 6-4, 6-4
4. Saska Gavrilovska (A&M) def. Jessica Golovin (LSU) 7-6, 6-2
5. Macarena Olivares (A&M) def. Becca Weissmann (LSU) 6-2, 6-3
6. Eva Paalma (A&M) def. Skylar Holloway (LSU) 6-1, 7-5
Doubles results
1. #23 Joana Valle Costa/Ryann Foster (LSU) def. #7 Rachel Pierson/Rutuja Bhosale (A&M) 7-5
2. Domenica Gonzalez/Eva Paalma (A&M) vs. Jade Lewis/Becca Weissmann (LSU) 6-6, unfinished
3. Jessica Golovin/Skylar Holloway (LSU) def. Saska Gavrilovska /Stefania Hristov (A&M) 6-4
Match Notes:
Texas A&M 16-12; National ranking #17
LSU 14-9; National ranking #21
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (6,4,1,5,3,2)
Quotes from LSU’s recap
“I thought we handled the adversity today really well with starting our match while the previous match was still going and then having to move indoors at a pivotal point,” co-head coach Julia Sell said. “We didn’t play our best today, but they were relentless with their purpose and we are very proud of that commitment to playing the right way.”
“Tomorrow is an opportunity to avenge a loss where we didn’t feel like we played our best in the regular season,” Sell said. “Our team is highly motivated to avenge this loss.”
Quotes from A&M’s recap
“This was a tough match that came down to the wire once again in both the singles and the doubles,” Texas A&M head coach Mark Weaver said. “We had our chances in the doubles and also in the singles but couldn’t quite make it go out way. It was a match that had a bit of everything, that is for sure. The match started late with pretty hot conditions then cooled down and got windy, which seemed to help us make a momentum turn. Then the rain came and we moved indoors, and that even looked like it helped us a bit as we picked up three wins very quickly. All credit to LSU for hanging in there and coming up with some good tennis right at the end. We all need a good rest over the course of the next few days and then get back to work and take advantage of the three-week break to prepare us for a run at the NCAA tournament.”
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#19 Kentucky 4, #29 Ole Miss 3
Apr 20, 2017 at Nashville, TN (Currey Tennis Center)
Singles competition
1. #33 Arianne Hartono (OM) def. #20 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
2. Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. #78 Natalie Suk (OM) 6-3, 7-5
3. Zalina Khairudinova (OM) def. Mami Adachi (UK) 2-6, 6-4, 6-3
4. Emily Fanning (UK) def. Anna Vrbenska (OM) 6-4, 7-6 (9-7)
5. Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Tea Jandric (OM) 6-3, 6-4
6. Morgan Chumney (UK) def. Alexa Bortles (OM) 6-4, 6-2
Doubles competition
1. #47 Arianne Hartono/Alexa Bortles (OM) def. #2 Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) 6-1
2. #87 Morgan Chumney/Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) vs. Zalina Khairudinova/Natalie Suk (OM) 3-5, unfinished
3. Anna Vrbenska/Tea Jandric (OM) def. Justina Mikulskyte/Emily Fanning (UK) 6-2
Match Notes
Kentucky 16-7 (7-6 SEC); National ranking #19
Ole Miss 14-13 (3-10 SEC; National ranking #29
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (5,2,4,1,3,6)
Quote from Kentucky’s recap
“I am so grateful for the way our squad competed tonight,” said head coach Carlos Drada. “We all look forward to a great opportunity tomorrow and hope to learn from today’s performance.”
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The final weekend of the regular season will be a big one with conference titles and tournament seeds to be determined in several conferences. On the men’s side there are three top 25 matchups on Friday including the Battle for Los Angeles between No. 8 UCLA and No. 6 USC. Barry Buss has a great firsthand account of the rivalry in an
article he wrote on his site Tennls.Life – great read if you want to get excited about this matchup!
North Carolina brings a 20-3 record, but just a No. 12 ranking, into tonight’s match at No. 20 Georgia Tech. The Tar Heels have quietly had a great year but they haven’t been able to get back into the top 10 due to many of the teams in the ACC being down this year. UNC’s three losses have come against No. 1 Wake Forest and No. 3 Virginia (twice) but a win on the road this evening would lock up the No. 3 seed in the conference tournament.
The Duke/Louisville match today is intriguing because both teams are fighting to get into the NCAA Tournament and whoever wins should pretty much lock up a spot whereas the loser will still have to keep plugging away.
Ohio State has already clinched a share of its 12th straight Big Ten regular season title and they can win it outright with either a win tonight at Northwestern or at Illinois on Sunday. Since Ty Tucker arrived in Cbus the Bucks are 20-1 against Northwestern and 21-12 against Illinois. No team other than Ohio State or Illinois has won a Big Ten title since 1996 (Michigan) and unless Ohio State loses both this weekend that streak will continue.
It sounds like Andrew Harris may finally suit up again for Oklahoma with the Sooners hosting No. 5 Oklahoma State this weekend in the Bedlam Series. Harris has only played in eight matches this season and hasn’t appeared in a match since February 18th when he injured his back in a loss to Northwestern’s Strong Kirchheimer. The Sooners have dropped out of the top 16 in Harris’s absence and most likely need a win on Saturday to have a chance at hosting a NCAA Regional next month.
TCU has a chance to go undefeated in the Big 12 and possibly move back into the top 5 if it can defeat Texas on Saturday afternoon in Fort Worth. The Horned Frogs are finally healthy for the first time all season and Cameron Norrie and Alex Rybakov have been dominant up top with the two a combined 31-2 in dual-match play. TCU has outscored Big 12 opponents 16-1 with Baylor the only one to take a court off them. Texas comes in with a 2-2 record in Big 12 play while being outscored 11-12. Texas freshman Christian Sigsgaard will be back at the top spot in the lineup after dropping down to No. 2 last week while fellow freshman Yuya Ito will not play after sustaining an injury against Baylor a week and a half ago. Its been 25 years since TCU won three in a row in this series but barring an upset on several courts it’s likely to happen this weekend.
Saturday will be a busy day in Berkeley with both the Cal men and women hosting Stanford in a doubleheader with both matches being broadcast by the Pac-12 Network. The women’s match will determine the top seed in the conference tournament next week (yes they are having a team tournament for the first time) while the men’s match will determine the No. 3 seed.
The Georgia Tech/Duke women’s match on Sunday will determine the conference champion in the ACC. A Georgia Tech win gives the Jackets the regular season title and the top seed in the conference tournament, which will be held just an hour from Tech’s campus in Rome, while a Duke win would mean a three-way tie between Duke, Georgia Tech, and North Carolina assuming the team take care of business in their other matches on Friday.
Also don’t forget about the 11 conference tournaments that are going on as we speak – all the info you need is available on my conference tournament central pages which are linked at the top of the site and also listed under the events tab. The SEC is the big tournament this weekend on the women’s side while the American is probably the biggest on the men’s side.
As always you can follow all the action on my
live scoring page which has links for everything – this page is just available to CTT subscribers so if you haven’t
subscribed yet now is the time! The $.33 a day will also get you access to my
real-time rankings which will let you know what to expect before they come out on Tuesday – I update them daily!
Friday, April 21st
Men:
Pepperdine at Portland (1 p.m. ET)
#49 Indiana at #30 Wisconsin (2 p.m. ET)
#38 Duke at #39 Louisville (4 p.m. ET)
Penn State at #25 Illinois (4 p.m. ET)
#12 North Carolina at #20 Georgia Tech (5 p.m. ET)
Virginia Tech at #32 Florida State (5:30 p.m. ET)
#6 USC at #8 UCLA (6 p.m. ET)
#2 Ohio State at #21 Northwestern (7 p.m. ET)
Women:
SEC Tournament Quarters – Nashville, TN
#36 Northwestern at #10 Michigan (3 p.m. ET)
#42 Florida State at #43 Virginia (3:30 p.m. ET)
#27 Kansas at #25 Texas (5 p.m. ET)
Saturday, April 22nd
Men:
AAC Tournament Semis – Lake Nona, FL
#5 Oklahoma State at #17 Oklahoma (1:30 p.m. ET)
#7 Texas at #9 TCU (2 p.m. ET)
#41 Washington at #22 Oregon (5 p.m. ET)
#15 Stanford at #11 Cal (6:30 p.m. ET)
Women:
SEC Tournament Semis – Nashville, TN
#8 Stanford at #16 Cal (3 p.m. ET)
#32 USC at #22 UCLA (3 p.m. ET)
Sunday, April 23rd
Men:
AAC Tournament Final – South Florida/Tulane/UCF/SMU/Memphis
#1 Wake Forest at Notre Dame (12 p.m. ET)
#12 North Carolina at #39 Louisville (12 p.m. ET)
Yale at #23 Columbia (1 p.m. ET)
#49 Indiana at #33 Minnesota (1 p.m. ET)
#3 Virginia at #32 Florida State (1 p.m. ET)
#2 Ohio State at #25 Illinois (1 p.m. ET)
Women:
SEC Tournament Final – Nashville, TN
#39 Miami FL at #43 Virginia (11 a.m. ET)
#10 Michigan at Illinois (12 p.m. ET)
#33 Notre Dame at #47 Clemson (12 p.m. ET)
#6 Georgia Tech at #15 Duke (12 p.m. ET)
#27 Kansas at #18 Baylor (2 p.m. ET)
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