Dawgs Drop National Indoor Opener To No. 3 Georgia

ITA National Team Indoor Championships
Feb. 11-14 | Madison, Wisc. | Nielsen Tennis Center

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MADISON, Wisc. – The 16th-ranked Husky women's tennis team battled hard in their ITA National Team Indoor Championships opener, but third-ranked Georgia got the best of the Dawgs today in a 4-0 final. Washington was making significant headway as the match wore on, up a set on two courts and early in the third set on another, but Georgia finished a third singles win to suspend the remaining matches.
 
The Huskies had their six-match season-opening win streak stopped as Georgia moved into the quarterfinals at Wisconsin's Nielsen Tennis Center. Washington will now move into consolation play, where it will take on 14th-ranked Auburn on Saturday at 10 a.m. Pacific time.
 
Georgia took the early lead with a win in the doubles point. Reasco/Vidmanova defeated Nika Zupancic and Sarah-Maude Fortin, 6-2, at No. 2 doubles, then Kowalski/Grant topped Zoey Weil and Kelly Leung, 6-3, at No. 3, the first loss of the dual season for Leung and Weil. Vanessa Wong and Hikaru Sato were leading 4-3 at No. 1 doubles when Georgia clinched.
 
In singles play, Georgia extended its lead with wins at No. 5 and No. 2 singles. Astrid Olsen played her first match since the fall, but fell short today to 119th-ranked Morgan Coppoc, 6-0, 6-3, at the No. 5 spot. Then Sarah-Maude Fortin was unable to upset 10th-ranked Mell Reasco at No. 2, falling 6-2, 6-2.
 
However, the Huskies were still in the mix as the remaining four singles matches were all closely contested. Vanessa Wong and Hikaru Sato were both up a set, and Kelly Leung won her second set after losing the first. 98th-ranked Nika Zupancic was trying to force a third set on court three, which would have ramped up the pressure. She trailed Darja Vidmanova, 6-3, 5-2, at No. 3 singles, but Zupancic won two straight games to get within 5-4, before Vidmanova responded with the next game to close it out, 6-4, and end the match.
 
Wong was leading 39th-ranked Lea Ma at the No. 1 spot, 7-5, 4-3, when the match was decided. Sato won her first set, 7-5, over 95th-ranked Ania Hertel, at No. 4 singles, and was down 1-3 in set two. Leung was facing the 46th-ranked singles player at No. 6 singles, showing Georgia's impressive depth, and Leung came back from a 0-6 first set loss to win the second set, 6-3, and she was at 2-3 in the third set.
 
 
Washington Women's Tennis
ITA National Team Indoor Championships – First Round
February 11, 2022
Nielsen Tennis Center | Madison, Wisc.
 
No. 3 Georgia – 4
No. 16 Washington – 0
 
Singles
1. Vanessa Wong (UW) vs. (#39) Lea Ma (UGA) – 7-5, 4-3, DNF
2. (#10) Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) – 6-2, 6-2
3. Darja Vidmanova (UGA) def. (#98) Nika Zupancic (UW) – 6-3, 6-4
4. Hikaru Sato (UW) vs. (#95) Ania Hertel (UGA) – 7-5, 1-3, DNF
5. (#119) Morgan Coppoc (UGA) def. Astrid Olsen (UW) – 6-0, 6-3
6. Kelly Leung (UW) vs. (#46) Meg Kowalski (UGA) – 0-6, 6-3, 2-3, DNF
Order of Finish: 5, 2, 3
 
Doubles
1. Wong/Sato (UW) vs. Hertel/Coppoc (UGA) – 4-3, DNF
2. Reasco/Vidmanova (UGA) def. Zupancic/Fortin (UW) – 6-2
3. Kowalski/Grant (UGA) def. Leung/Weil (UW) – 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 3