COLUMBIA, S.C. – A hard-fought battle to the finish came up just short for the 13th-ranked Auburn women's tennis team as the Tigers fell 4-3 at No. 34 South Carolina Friday night.
The Tigers (17-4, 8-2 SEC) had to fight from behind after dropping the doubles point, got two early singles wins and forced third sets in two other matches. But South Carolina won the key points, claiming a pair of second-set tiebreakers and outlasting the Tigers on a chilly night.
"We fought really hard in Columbia," Auburn head coach Caroline Lilley said. "We earned a lot of opportunities, played with class and did things the right way. One thing that is so important is winning and losing with dignity. Regardless of the result, being able to look yourself in the mirror knowing you acted in a way you can be proud of is what matters most.
"Our character and values are who we are; tennis is simply something we do. We have enough perspective to know where our true identity lies."
The Gamecocks took an early 1-0 lead with doubles wins on courts 2 and 3. Georgie Axon and Adeline Flach fell 6-1 at the second spot, and Madeline Meredith and Carolyn Ansari dropped a 6-4 match on court three.
Auburn's 12th-ranked tandem of Selin Ovunc and Ariana Arseneault were leading 5-4 and 40-30 over No. 30 Davies and Hamner when doubles play was halted.
Axon got Auburn on the board with a 6-2, 6-2 win over Misa Malkin at the fifth singles spot. Ovunc, ranked 69th in the latest ITA release, equaled her biggest win of the season with a 7-5, 6-4 win over No. 2 Sarah Hamner. It was Ovunc's second win over Hamner this year; she was also ranked second nationally in their previous meeting in January.
From there, it was a fight on all four remaining courts. Ansari clawed her way back after falling behind in the second set to force a tiebreaker, but she came up just short to Megan Davies, 6-4, 7-6 (5). Then Flach fell by the slimmest of margins, dropping two tiebreakers to No. 104 Elise Mills on court four, 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6) as the Gamecocks took a 3-2 lead.
Meanwhile, Yu Chen had overcome a first-set loss to force a third set, which headed to a tiebreaker with the team match still in doubt. Arseneault, ranked 70th, had also fought her way into a third set and trailed 5-1 before winning three straight to get back on serve. But Carolina's 57th-ranked Ayana Akli prevailed in the decisive game for a 6-4, 5-7, 6-4 win to clinch the match for the Gamecocks.
Moments later, Chen provided the third point for Auburn with a third-set tiebreaker win, 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3), over Gracie Mulville.
The Tigers will travel from Columbia to Gainesville, Fla., for a Sunday matinee against the 15th-ranked Florida Gators. First serve is set for 11 a.m. CT.
For the latest on Auburn women's tennis, follow @AuburnWTennis on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
#34 South Carolina 4, #13 Auburn 3
Singles
1. #69 Selin Ovunc (AU) def. #2 Sarah Hamner (SC), 7-5, 6-4
2. #57 Ayana Akli (SC) def. #70 Ariana Arseneault (AU), 6-4, 5-7, 6-4
3. Megan Davies (SC) def. #87 Carolyn Ansari (AU), 6-4, 7-6 (5)
4. #104 Elise Mills (SC) def. Adeline Flach (AU), 7-6 (5), 7-6 (6)
5. Georgie Axon (AU) def. Misa Malkin (SC), 6-2, 6-2
6. Yu Chen (AU) def. Gracie Mulville (SC), 4-6, 6-2, 7-6 (3)
Order of finish: 5, 1, 3, 4, 2, 6
Doubles
1. #12 Ovunc/Arseneault (AU) vs. #30 Davies/Hamner (SC), 5-4 unfinished
2. Akli/Cruz (SC) def. Axon/Flach (AU), 6-1
3. Malkin/Mills (SC) def. Ansari/Meredith (AU), 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 3