Alabama Women?s Tennis Falls at Home to Georgia
3/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
The loss drops Alabama to 7-7 overall, 3-3 in the SEC and marks the first time since February 11 that the Tide has lost back-to-back matches.
“This was a disappointing day for us,” Alabama head coach Jenny Mainz said. “I commend Georgia for stepping up and taking the match.”
Perhaps the most pivotal match of the day came at No. 2 doubles. After UA’s Robin Stephenson and Ashley Bentley dominated No. 8-ranked Shadisha Robinson and Caroline Basu, 8-2, in a showdown of the SEC’s top two doubles teams, Mari Muller and Melissa Day attempted to clinch the doubles point for Alabama. Muller and Day fought off match point once at 7-6 and forced a tiebreaker. The duo then took a 5-1 lead in the tiebreaker and held match point themselves at 6-5. However, UGA’s Darya Ivanov and Evgenia Subbotina fought off the point and won the final three points of the breaker to claim the win.
From there, UGA won five of six singles matches to seal the win.
UA’s Bentley continued her roll as of late by defeating Robinson in straight sets at No. 2 singles and earning her 21st win of the season. She’s now 4-1 in SEC play this season and has won 9 of her last 10 matches, including seven in a row. The win also moves Bentley into third place all-time at Alabama in career wins with 87.
Stephenson’s bid to set Alabama’s all-time career wins record will have to wait until next week. Stephenson lost to Natalie Frazier 6-4, 7-6, snapping her six match winning streak and keeping her tied for first with 88 career wins.
At No. 3, Muller mounted a big third-set comeback against Subbotina, but came up just short in the tiebreaker. Muller trailed 5-2 in the third set but won four consecutive games to take a 6-5 lead. Subbotina then held her serve to even the set at 6-6 and force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Subbotina outlasted Muller 7-5.
Despite the loss, Alabama remains atop the SEC Western Division. Next up are home dates with Florida and South Carolina next weekend to round out the home schedule.
No. 30 Georgia 6, No. 26 Alabama 1
Singles
Natalie Frazier (UGA) d. Robin Stephenson (UA), 6-4, 7-6
Ashley Bentley (UA) d. Shadisha Robinson (UGA), 6-2, 6-2
Evgenia Subbotina (UGA) d. Mari Muller (UA), 6-7, 6-2, 7-6(5)
Caroline Basu (UGA) d. Natalie McElveen (UA), 3-6, 6-2, 6-2
Kelley Hyndman (UGA) d. Shelley Godwin (UA), 6-0, 6-1
Darya Ivanov (UGA) d. Melissa Day (UA), 6-1, 6-3
Doubles
Stephenson/Bentley (UA) d. Robinson/Basu (UGA), 8-2
Ivanov/Subbotina (UGA) d. Muller/Day (UA), 9-8(6)
Frazier/Hyndman (UGA) d. McElveen/Andrea Brenes (UA), 8-4
Order of finish
S: (2,5,6,4,1,3)
D: (1,3,2)
