Wake Forest University
Winthrop
Shorthanded Deacs Fall to Georgia State, Winthrop
1/22/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
Jan. 22, 2012
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Hampered by injury and illness, the 62nd-ranked Wake Forest women's tennis team fell to No. 58 Georgia State and No. 67 Winthrop in tight 4-3 decisions in its 2012 season openers at the Indoor Tennis Center Sunday.
The Deacons (0-2) headed into the doubleheader shorthanded after Brigita Bercyte was ruled out of singles play with an illness, and then suffered further misfortune when Rebecca Siegler injured her ankle early in her singles match against Georgia State, keeping her out for the rest of the day. The training room kept filling up against Winthrop when Kayla Duncan was forced to retire in the first set of her singles match.
Despite conceding two points to Georgia State and three points to Winthrop due to retirements and forfeits, Wake Forest fared well in the matches that were actually played to completion. The Demon Deacons won the doubles point against both opponents, with 20th-ranked Kayla Duncan and Kathryn Talbert winning twice at No. 1. Siegler teamed with Cutillo to win at No. 2 doubles against Georgia State, and after she was injured, Cutillo and Forman joined to post a win at No. 2 against Winthrop.
After falling behind 3-1 to the Panthers, the Deacs clawed their way back to 3-3 via a 6-4, 6-3 win by Kathryn Talbert over Whitney Byrd at No. 3 and a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win by Cutillo at No. 2. Cutillo's singles victory was the 50th of her career.
That left the dual match to be decided at No. 1 singles where Duncan was taking on Abigail Tere-Apisah. The Deacon senior rallied back after dropping the first set to force a deciding final frame, but her Panther opponent regrouped to pull out the win by a 6-4, 2-6, 6-1 score line, giving Georgia State the victory.
The Deacons started off down 2-0 to Winthrop due to having only four available players. They won both doubles matches that were played to take the doubles point, pulling to within 2-1, but were dealt a blow when Duncan's retirement at No. 1 singles put the Eagles on the verge of clinching at 3-1.
In a similar storyline to the first match of the day, Ryann Cutillo and Kathryn Talbert won easily at No. 2 and No. 3 to tie the match at 3-3, but Winthrop's Giovanna Portioli took down Karen Forman at No. 4 singles to give the Eagles the deciding point.
Wake Forest will continue dual match play next weekend when it opens against Kansas State on January 28 in the ITA Kick-Off Weekend on the campus of Clemson.
#58 Georgia State 4, #62 Wake Forest 3
Singles
1. Abigail Tere-Apisah (GSU) def. #93 Kayla Duncan (WF) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
2. Ryann Cutillo (WF) def. Tereza Lerova (GSU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
3. Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Whitney Byrd (GSU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Masa Grgan (GSU) def. Rebecca Siegler (WF) 3-1, retired
5. Chaimaa Roudami (GSU) def. Karen Forman (WF) 6-2, 6-1
6. Martina Ondrackova (GSU) def. No player (WF), by forfeit
Doubles
1. #20 Kayla Duncan/Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Abigail Tere-Apisah/Maryna Kozachenko (GSU) 8-5
2. Ryann Cutillo/Rebecca Siegler (WF) def. Tereza Lerova/Whitney Byrd (GSU) 8-3
3. Masa Grgan/Martina Ondrackova (GSU) def. Brigita Bercyte/Karen Forman (WF) 8-0
Match Notes:
Georgia State 2-0; National ranking #58
Wake Forest 0-1; National ranking #62
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1*); Singles (6,4,5,3,2,1*)
#67 Winthrop 4, #62 Wake Forest 3
Singles
1. Yasmine Alkema (WIN) def. #93 Kayla Duncan (WF) 5-2, retired
2. Ryann Cutillo (WF) def. Andressa Garcia (WIN) 6-1, 6-1
3. Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Ekin Gunaysu (WIN) 6-3, 6-0
4. Giovanna Portioli (WIN) def. Karen Forman (WF) 6-3, 6-0
5. Monica Aguado (WIN) def. No player (WF), by forfeit
6. Sandra Herrera (WIN) def. No player (WF), by forfeit
Doubles
1. #20 Kayla Duncan/Kathryn Talbert (WF) def. Yasmine Alkema/Andressa Garcia (WIN) 8-4
2. Ryann Cutillo/Karen Forman (WF) def. Ekin Gunaysu/Giovanna Portioli (WIN) 8-4
3. Monica Aguado/Sandra Herrera (WIN) def. No player/No player (WF), by forfeit
Match Notes:
Winthrop 2-0; National ranking #67
Wake Forest 0-2; National ranking #62
Order of finish: Doubles (1,3,2); Singles (5,6,1,3,2,4*)
Players Mentioned
