ATLANTA – Auburn pushed three crucial matches to third sets, but the Tigers came up just short in a fight to the finish with No. 6 Georgia Tech, falling 5-2 Sunday afternoon.
"When you are climbing a mountain, you can't always take the same path to the top," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "You have to climb in inches, focusing on the very next step instead of the entirety of the journey ahead. Inch by inch, step by step. Climbing is just like a tennis match, point by point until the job is complete.
"We fought today. We certainly earned windows of opportunity in both doubles and singles. As we return to the practice court this week, we have to bring a climber's mentality. Inch by inch, ball by ball, and minute by minute. We will be better because of competitive matches like today, and we are grateful for the opportunity to develop and hone our craft."
Georgia Tech took a 1-0 lead after doubles. Auburn's team of Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach grabbed a 6-2 win at the No. 2 spot, but Ansari and Chen fell on court 3, 6-3, and Ovunc and Russo dropped a 6-3 decision at the top spot to the fifth-ranked team of Jones and Flores.
The Yellow Jackets moved ahead 2-0 as 13th-ranked Kenya Jones downed 62nd-ranked Selin Ovunc 7-5, 6-2. Auburn got on the board as Axon improved to 4-0 on the spring with a 6-3, 6-4 win over 123rd-ranked Gia Cohen, 6-3, 6-4. Tech then pushed its lead to 3-1 as Flach fell on court six, 6-4, 6-4.
The remaining three matches went the distance. Taylor Russo, ranked 99th in singles, fought back from a first-set loss to earn a 1-6, 6-2, 6-1 win at the No. 5 spot to pull Auburn within a point at 3-2. But Georgia Tech clinched the match on court three as Carolyn Ansari fell 6-2, 3-6, 6-4. Yu Chen also went to a third set with 56th-ranked Victoria Flores at No. 2 singles before falling 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
Auburn is back in action next Sunday on the road at Clemson. Match time is set for 11 a.m. CT in Clemson, S.C.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#6 Georgia Tech 5, Auburn 2
Singles
1. #13 Kenya Jones (GT) def. #62 Selin Ovunc (AU), 7-5, 6-2
2. #56 Victoria Flores (GT) def. Yu Chen (AU), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
3. Ava Hrastar (GT) def. Carolyn Ansari (AU), 6-2, 3-6, 6-4
4. Georgie Axon (AU) def. #123 Gia Cohen (GT), 6-3, 6-4
5. #99 Taylor Russo (AU) def. Carol Lee (GT), 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
6. Mahak Jain (GT) def. Adeline Flach (AU), 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 4, 6, 5, 3, 2
Doubles
1. #5 Jones/Flores (GT) def. #11 Ovunc/Russo (AU), 6-3
2. Axon/Flach (AU) def. Cohen/Marsh (GT), 6-2
3. Hrastar/Dedaj (GT) def. Ansari/Chen (AU), 6-3
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1