AUBURN, Ala. – It was a stellar start to the spring dual match season for the Auburn women's tennis team as the 25th-ranked Tigers earned a pair of wins over Furman and UAB Sunday at the Yarbrough Tennis Center.
Auburn (2-0) earned a 4-3 win over Furman in the day's first match, then swept UAB 7-0 in the nightcap.
"What a day of tennis!" Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "We are proud of the girls as they handled adversity all week with a conqueror's attitude. Adversity makes us stronger, and the resilience today is a testament to the character of the young women we are blessed to coach."
In the day's first match against Furman, Auburn took a 1-0 lead with doubles wins on courts 2 and 3. Madeline Meredith and Anastasia Astakhova got the first win of the day with a 6-0 win over Snyder and Schulson, then Carolyn Ansari and Selin Ovunc got the Tigers on the board with a 6-4 win over Dillon and Dawson. Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach were tied 4-4 with Furman's Adams and Schoppe when play was halted.
Furman evened the match at 1-all as 45th-ranked Julia Adams defeated Ovunc, 6-2, 6-3. But Auburn pulled back ahead as Yu Chen downed Jess Dawson, 6-3, 6-4, at the No. 5 spot. Axon made it 3-1 as she defeated 65th-ranked Sara Snyder 6-4, 6-2, and 115th-ranked Ansari clinched the win for Auburn with a 6-2, 6-3 win over Madison Dillon.
The Paladins put two more points on the board as Astakhova fell to Ellie Schulson, 6-4, 6-4, and Flach went the distance with Ellie Schoppe before coming up short, 3-6, 7-6 (3), 1-0 (7).
Play moved outdoors for the second match of the day against UAB. The top two doubles courts put Auburn on the board as Ansari and Ovunc defeated Clarke and Maggie White, 6-2, then Axon and Flach downed Wasserbauerova and Mackenzie White, 6-3. Meredith and Astakhova were just a few points away from another win, leading their match 5-4 when doubles was clinched.
Ovunc bounced back to put Auburn ahead 2-0 with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Jana Hecking. Chen made it 3-0, defeating Annalisa Smith 6-1, 6-2, and Ansari clinched the win with a 6-4, 6-2 win over Adela Wasserbauerova.
Three more straight-sets wins would follow for the Tigers. Flach defeated Mackenzie White, 6-4, 6-2; Astakhova defeated Enya Ratkic 6-3, 6-4; and Axon defeated Vanessa Mellynchuk, 7-6 (7), 6-1.
Auburn will hit the road for the ITA Kick-Off Weekend, which takes place Friday and Saturday in Orlando, Fla. The Tigers will face Arizona State Friday in the first match, then will take on either UCF or UC-Santa Barbara on Saturday.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#25 Auburn 4, Furman 3
Singles
1. #45 Julia Adams (FUR) def. #79 Selin Ovunc (AU), 6-2, 6-3
2. #115 Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. Madison Dillon (FUR), 6-2, 6-3
3. Ellie Schoppe (FUR) def. Adeline Flach (AU), 3-6, 7-6 (3), 1-0 (7)
4. Georgie Axon (AU) def. #65 Sara Snyder (FUR), 6-4, 6-2
5. Yu Chen (AU) def. Jess Dawson (FUR), 6-3, 6-4
6. Ellie Schulson (FUR) def. Anastasia Astakhova (AU), 6-4, 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 5, 4, 2, 6, 3
Doubles
1. Axon/Flach (AU) vs. Adams/Schoppe (FUR), 4-4 unfinished
2. Ansari/Ovunc (AU) def. Dillon/Dawson (FUR), 6-4
3. Meredith/Astakhova (AU) def. Snyder/Schulson (FUR), 6-0
Order of finish: 3, 2
#25 Auburn 7, UAB 0
Singles
1. #79 Selin Ovunc (AU) def. Jana Hecking (UAB), 6-1, 6-1
2. #115 Carolyn Ansari (AU) def. Adela Wasserbauerova (UAB), 6-4, 6-2
3. Adeline Flach (AU) def. Mackenzie White (UAB), 6-4, 6-2
4. Georgie Axon (AU) def. Vanessa Mellynchuk (UAB), 7-6 (7), 6-1
5. Yu Chen (AU) def. Annalisa Smith (UAB), 6-1, 6-2
6. Anastasia Astakhova (AU) def. Enya Ratkic (UAB), 6-3, 6-4
Order of finish: 1, 5, 2, 3, 6, 4
Doubles
1. Axon/Flach (AU) def. Wasserbauerova/Mac. White (UAB), 6-3
2. Ansari/Ovunc (AU) def. Clarke/Mag. White (UAB), 6-2
3. Meredith/Astakhova (AU) vs. da Sliva/Mellynchuk (UAB), 5-4 unfinished
Order of finish: 2, 1