Women's Tennis Opens SEC Season with Loss at UGA
3/4/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
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ATHENS, GA. -- The University of Alabama women’s tennis team dropped its Southeastern Conference opener Friday afternoon to the No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs, 5-2.
“Georgia is a good team that is well coached,” Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz said. “That’s why they’re one of the best.”
Two of Alabama’s players, Ashley Bentley and Natalie McElveen, continued their hot streaks Friday. Bentley won for the ninth consecutive match with a 7-5, 7-6 win at No. 2 singles over Evgenia Subbotina. Bentley is now tied for the team lead in wins with 17. McElveen rolled to a 6-3, 6-1 straight-set win at No. 6 singles for her third straight win. McElveen, who is coming off of shoulder surgery, improved to 8-6 overall.
The marquee match-up on the afternoon was at No. 1 singles and was a rematch of this fall’s ITA Southern Regional semifinals between No. 4 Shadisha Robinson and No. 6 Robin Stephenson. Robinson beat Stephenson for the second time this season after jumping out to win the first set 6-2. Stephenson didn’t go away though fought back to force a tiebreaker in the second set only to fall 6-2, 7-6.
Next for Alabama is its SEC home opener against Tennessee on Sunday. The match will begin at 1 p.m. and will be played at the UA Tennis Complex.
#3 Georgia 5, #36 Alabama 2
Singles
1. Shadisha Robinson (UGA) d. Robin Stephenson (UA) 6-2, 7-6
2. Ashley Bentley (UA) d. Evgenia Subbotina (UGA) 7-5, 7-6
3. Kelley Hyndman (UGA) d. Melissa Minor (UA) 6-2, 6-1**
4. Caroline Basu (UGA) d. Andrea Brenes (UA) 6-3, 6-0
5. Jitka Schonfeldova (UGA) d. Maria Muller (UA) 6-2, 6-2
6. Natalie McElveen (UA) d. Anastasiya Shevchenko (UGA) 6-3, 6-1
**clinched match
Doubles
1. Basu/Robinson (UGA) d. Bentley/Stephenson (UA) 8-4
2. Hyndman/Subbotina (UGA) d. Brenes/Muller (UA) 8-5
3. Frazier/Schonfeldova (UGA) d. McElveen/Minor (UA) 8-5*
*clinched doubles point
