Wake Forest University
No. 14 Louisville
Deacs Outlast Cardinals in ACC Championships Opener
4/27/2017 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeWTennis)
ROME, GA. – Luisa Fernandez rallied from one set down to send the Wake Forest women's tennis team to the quarterfinals of the 2017 ACC Women's Tennis Championships. Fernandez's three-set thriller gave the Deacs, the No. 6 seed, a 4-2 victory over No. 14 Louisville Thursday evening at the Rome Tennis Center.
With the Demon Deacons (18-9) holding onto a slim 3-2 advantage, attention turned to the third and sixth court, where Anna Ulyashchenko and Fernandez were battling in the third set each. Fernandez, playing at No. 6 singles, had dropped the first set 6-4 and was down 5-2 in the second set before the rally began. The senior battled back and won five consecutive games to take the second, 7-5, and force a third set. In the decisive third set, Fernandez and Olivia Boesing of Louisville (15-13) battled back and forth until Fernandez took a late 5-4 lead after holding serve. Fernandez was able to then break Boesing, sending the Demon Deacons into the quarterfinals.
Ulyashchenko's match went unfinished at 3-all in the third, as Wake Forest now turns its attention to its Friday afternoon match against No. 3 seed Georgia Tech.
The Deacs opened play with a victory in doubles action after seeing the start of their match moved back two and a half hours, as morning showers delayed the morning session of play.
Kimmy Guerin and Ulyashchenko cruised in the top doubles spot to a 6-2 victory, as the remaining doubles matches headed to a tiebreaker. At No. 2 doubles, Chandler Carter and Courtney Meredith jumped out to an early lead and claimed the set, and the doubles point, with a 7-3 tiebreaker victory.
Louisville quickly evened the score at 1-all as Samantha Asch fell at No. 4 singles. Guerin then put the Deacs up for good in the top singles spot with a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Alexandra Mally. Carter put the Demon Deacons within a point of victory at No. 5 singles with a 6-2, 7-5 decision. Emma Davis jumped out to an early lead at the No. 2 spot, taking the first set, 6-2. Davis was unable to hold her advantage, falling in three sets, setting up the thrilling finish on the two remaining courts.
Wake Forest returns to action on Friday, April 28, as the Demon Deacons will take on Georgia Tech. First serve between the Deacs and Yellow Jackets is set for 4 p.m.
No. 6 Wake Forest 4, No. 14 Louisville 2
Singles Results
1. Kimmy Guerin (WF) def. Alexandra Mally (UL), 6-4, 6-3
2. Elle Stokes (UL) def. Emma Davis (WF), 2-6, 6-4, 6-2
3. Mariana Humberg (UL) vs. Anna Ulyashchenko (WF), no result
4. Abbie Pahz (UL) def. Samantha Asch (WF), 6-0, 6-3
5. Chandler Carter (WF) def. Tiffany Huber (UL), 6-2, 7-5
6. Luisa Fernandez (WF) def. Olivia Boesing (UL), 4-6, 7-5, 6-4
Order of Finish: 4,1,5,2,6
Doubles Results
1. Guerin/Ulyashchenko (WF) def. Pahz/Humberg (UL), 6-2
2. Carter/Meredith (WF) def. Paul/Stokes (UL), 7-6 (7-3)
3. Mally/Rodriguez (UL) vs. Davis/Fernandez (WF), no result
Order of Finish: 1,2
Players Mentioned
