AUBURN, Ala. – The 20th-ranked Auburn women's tennis team kept up its winning ways Saturday afternoon with a 4-1 win over No. 44 Alabama at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
The Tigers (9-2, 4-1 SEC) remained unbeaten at home this season at 6-0 as they claimed the doubles point, took a 3-1 lead with a pair of straight-sets wins in singles, then got a win in one of three remaining three-setters to secure the victory.
Even with the win, Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley saw areas for improvement as the Tigers near the midpoint of the SEC season.
"The purpose of competing is to hone our craft while striving for improvement," Lilley said. "What I love most about this team is the fire and tenacious passion we compete with. Today we lost our identity and we did not meet the expectations we set in the areas we can control. We can and we will be better, as a coaching staff, and as a team.
"Great competitors find joy amidst chaos and their commitment level never wavers. We must stay the course, embrace every moment, and continue to play aggressive tennis regardless of the outcome."
Sophomore Selin Ovunc provided the clinching victory. The 62nd-ranked player in the country dropped her first set to Alabama's Moka Ito, 4-6, but bounced back in a big way to win the last two 6-3 and 6-1. Match point came by way of a monster serve for an ace to clinch the team victory.
Auburn got on the board first with a nearly hour-long battle in doubles. After Alabama won 6-1 on court three over Carolyn Ansari and Madeline Meredith, the Tigers evened the doubles score with a 6-4 win from Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach on court two. It came down to the top spot as 11th-ranked Ovunc and Taylor Russo went to a tiebreaker with Alabama's Moka Ito and Loudmilla Bencheikh. Ovunc and Russo prevailed 7-5 in the breaker to take the set 7-6 and give Auburn a 1-0 lead.
Alabama evened the score as Anne Marie Hiser defeated Auburn's Russo 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 5 doubles spot. But Auburn quickly got two singles points on the board. Flach defeated Sydney Riley 6-3, 6-1 on court six, and Axon won her 10th straight match, defeating Alba Cortina Pou 6-2, 6-2 at the No. 4 spot.
The three remaining matches went to a third set. Ovunc grabbed the momentum late in the second set and got two quick breaks in the third en route to clinching the match. Ansari bounced back from a first-set loss to force a third set and was tied 2-2 when play was halted. Yu Chen won her first set in a tiebreaker and was on serve at 3-4 in the third when the match ended.
Auburn continues a three-match SEC home stand next week as Mississippi State (Thursday, 3 p.m.) and Ole Miss (Saturday, noon) visit the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#20 Auburn 4, #44 Alabama 1
Singles
1. #62 Selin Ovunc (AU) def. Moka Ito (UA), 4-6, 6-3, 6-1
2. Yu Chen (AU) vs. Loudmilla Bencheikh (UA), 7-6 (6), 2-6, 3-4 unfinished
3. Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. Anna Parkhomenko (UA), 3-6, 6-4, 2-2 unfinished
4. Georgie Axon (AU) def. Alba Cortina Pou (UA), 6-2, 6-2
5. Anne Marie Hiser (UA) def. #99 Taylor Russo (AU), 6-2, 6-2
6. Adeline Flach (AU) def. Sydney Riley (UA), 6-3, 6-1
Order of finish: 5, 6, 4, 1
Doubles
1. #11 Ovunc/Russo (AU) def. Ito/Bencheikh (UA), 7-6 (5)
2. Axon/Flach (AU) def. Hiser/Riley (UA), 6-4
3. Cortina Pou/Parkhomenko (UA) def. Ansari/Meredith (AU), 6-1
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
Auburn 9-2, 4-1 SEC; national ranking #20
Alabama 9-6, 0-5 SEC; national ranking #44
Time: 3:08 Attendance: 196