AUBURN, Ala. – For the second time in three days, the Auburn women's tennis team pushed a traditional SEC power to the brink but came up just short, falling to Florida 4-3 Sunday afternoon at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
The Tigers (7-5, 0-2 SEC) pushed four singles matches to third sets and were in a third-set tiebreaker in the last match on, but fell just short of picking up the program's first win over the Gators.
"One thing no coach can teach is heart," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "I am humbled to lead a team of fighters, of players who dig deep when the going gets tough, who compete with an edgy grittiness and unyielding passion. We ask our team to empty the tank, and that is exactly what they did today. Once again, I am humbled and blessed to coach this group of young women. We are in the business of developing strong leaders here at Auburn, and the guts we compete with, regardless of any result, is something I will tip my hat to every single day."
With the team match tied 3-3, Auburn's Georgie Axon and Florida's Marlee Zein went to a third-set tiebreaker on court four. But Zein prevailed by the slimmest of margins, winning 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5) to clinch the match for the Gators.
Florida jumped out to a 1-0 lead, claiming the doubles point with wins on courts 1 and 3. Auburn's Madeline Meredith and Axon picked up a 6-2 win on court 2, but Taylor Russo and Selin Ovunc fell on court 1, 6-3, and the Gators also won 6-3 on court 3 over Yu Chen and Carolyn Ansari.
The Gators made it 2-0 as No. 49 McCartney Kessler defeated 78th-ranked Russo 6-2, 6-2. But Auburn would rally to win the next three matches to pull ahead 3-2. Ovunc got Auburn on the board with her second ranked win of the weekend, defeating No. 113 Victoria Emma 6-3, 6-3. Meredith pulled the Tigers even with a 6-4, 7-5 win over Tsveta Dimitrova on court 6. And Auburn took the lead as Ansari overcame a 6-0 first-set loss to earn a three-set win over Sydney Berlin on court 5, 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3.
Florida tied it up with another three-set win on court 3 as Chen fell to Ida Jarlskog, 4-6, 6-3, 3-6, setting up the tiebreaker finish on court 4.
The Tigers continue SEC play next weekend with their first two road matches in league play. Auburn will face Vanderbilt on Friday in Nashville before traveling to Lexington to take on Kentucky Sunday.
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Florida 4, #48 Auburn 3
Singles
1. No. 49 McCartney Kessler (UF) def. No. 78 Taylor Russo (AU), 6-2, 6-2
2. Selin Ovunc (AU) def. No. 113 Victoria Emma (UF), 6-3, 6-3
3. Ida Jarlskog (UF) def. Yu Chen (AU), 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
4. Marlee Zein (UF) def. Georgie Axon (AU), 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (5)
5. Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. Sydney Berlin (UF), 0-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3
6. Madeline Meredith (AU) def. Tsveta Dimitrova (UF), 6-4, 7-5
Order of finish: 1, 2, 6, 5, 3, 4
Doubles
1. Kessler/Zein (UF) def. #9 Ovunc/Russo (AU), 6-3
2. Meredith/Axon (AU) def. Dimitrova/Jarlskog (UF), 6-2
3. Berlin/Emma (UF) def. Chen/Ansari (AU), 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 1, 3