CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The Auburn women's tennis team picked up four wins on the first day of the Kitty Harrison Invitational, which got underway Friday at the University of North Carolina.
Junior Carolyn Ansari won a pair of matches to advance to the semifinals in her draw, but the other three singles competitors and one of the Tigers' two doubles teams fell into the consolation draw.
"Today was rough for us from the very start of doubles," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "We did some good things to put ourselves in the driver's seat, but down the stretch we really wavered from playing the way we train. If our game style is predicated by the score, then we need a perspective shift. Obviously I need to do a better job as the leader of the program in providing the perspective to play free and the grit to play stingy, a balance we certainly lacked today. As we progress through the tournament I shoulder the responsibility of finding a way to be a teacher who constructively leads."
Ansari, ranked 45th nationally, earned two wins in the Blue singles draw to move into the semis. She defeated Peyton Pesavento of Wake Forest 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (6) in the first match, then moved past Princeton's Stephanie Schrage 7-5, 6-3 in the quarters. She will face 68th-ranked Malkia Ngounoue of Kansas in the semifinals Saturday.
The Tigers' three other singles entrants fell short in their opening matches with two going to third-set match tiebreaks. Yu Chen fell to Northwestern's Christina Hand, 2-6, 7-6 (7), 1-0 (9), and Ariana Arseneault came up just short to UNC's Lindsay Zing, 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (3). Adeline Flach dropped a 6-2, 6-2 decision to Ellie Coleman of Duke.
In the consolation draw, Arseneault picked up a 6-4, 6-4 win over Wake Forest's Mia Ahmad, and Flach advanced on a walkover win over Kansas' Tiffany Lagarde, who had retired in her previous match. Chen dropped another three-setter to Princeton's Maia Sung, 7-6 (9), 2-6, 1-0 (8).
In doubles play, Ansari teamed up with Arseneault for a 7-6 (5) win over Florida's De Olivera and Spee, and Chen and Flach fell to the Gators' Dudeny and Briggs, 6-2.
Second-round play begins at 8 a.m. CT Saturday with two rounds of doubles and one round of singles scheduled. Live scoring is not available, but links to live video can be found on the women's tennis schedule page at AuburnTigers.com.
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Kitty Harrison Invitational – Friday, Sept. 24
Singles – First Round
Ellie Coleman (DUKE) def. Adeline Flach (AU), 6-2, 6-2
Christina Hand (NU) def. #116 Yu Chen (AU), 2-6, 7-6 (7), 1-0 (9)
#45 Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. Peyton Pesavento (WF), 4-6, 6-0, 1-0 (6)
Lindsay Zink (UNC) def. Ariana Arseneault (AU), 2-6, 7-5, 1-0 (3)
Singles – Quarterfinals
#45 Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. Stephanie Schrage (PRIN), 7-5, 6-3
Singles – Consolation
Ariana Arseneault (AU) def. Mia Ahmad (WF), 6-4, 6-4
Maia Sung (PRIN) def. #116 Yu Chen (AU), 7-6 (9), 2-6, 1-0 (8)
Adeline Flach (AU) def. Tiffany Lagarde (KU), walkover
Doubles – First Round
Dudeney/Briggs (UF) def. Chen/Flach (AU), 6-2
Ansari/Arseneault (AU) vs. De Oliveira/Spee (UF), 7-6 (5)
Tigers complete first day of competition at North Carolina
