Saturday, 01/28/2012

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The 23rd-ranked Alabama women’s tennis team (0-1) was edged out by No. 15 Texas (2-1), 4-3, on Saturday in the first round of play at the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. The Crimson Tide picked up the doubles point for the early lead, but the Longhorns collected four of the six points in singles to advance to the winner’s bracket.

Alabama earned the doubles point to take the 1-0 lead despite being down 3-0 early on courts two and three. Senior Taylor Lindsey and freshman Yasmeen Ebada would be the first Tide team to finish, posting an 8-5 win over Texas senior Krista Damico and freshman Alex Martin. Lindsey and Ebada won three straight games and eventually took the lead at 5-4. From there, the Alabama duo would go on to win three of the last four games for the victory. In similar fashion, the Tide’s No. 2 team of junior Antonia Foehse and sophomore Mary Anne Macfarlane climbed out of their 3-0 deficit, winning five straight games for the 6-5 advantage over Longhorn junior Aeriel Ellis and sophomore Cierra Gaytan-Leach. Foehse and Macfarlane took the final three games to wrap up the match and award the Tide the point. At No. 1, senior Courtney McLane and junior Alexa Guarachi led freshmen Lina Padegimaite and Noel Scott, 7-6, when play was called.

Texas evened the overall score at 1-1 after picking up the first victory in singles as Damico claimed a 6-1, 6-2 win over McLane at No. 3. Sophomore Alex Clay put the Tide in front once again as she pulled out a 6-2, 7-5 victory on court four against Gaytan-Leach. The Longhorns claimed the next point to tie the team score, as Padegimaite recorded a 6-3, 6-1 win over Lindsey at the No. 5 position.

Texas took its first lead of the match with a win on court two as 119th-ranked Scott posted the 6-2, 6-3 win over No. 43 Guarachi on court two. On court one, which featured another battle of ranked opponents, No. 13 Macfarlane cruised to a 6-1 win in the first set before No. 47 Ellis came back to take the second 6-4. Ellis appeared to be on her way to a win as she took the 3-0 lead in the third set, however Macfarlane battled to win six straight games for the victory that set the team score at 3-3.

The match-clincher would come down to the decision on court six, which belonged to Texas sophomore Elizabeth Begley early on as she jumped out to a 4-2 edge in the first set. Foehse came back to tie the frame at 4-4 before Begley eventually closed out the set 6-4. She would go on to take the second by a 6-2 score for the win.

Next up, Alabama will play the non-advancing team of the Vanderbilt/Arizona match on Sunday. First serve is slated for 9 a.m.

RESULTS

Doubles

1. Guarachi/McLane (UA) vs. Padegimaite/Scott (UT) 7-6, unf.
2. Macfarlane/Foehse (UA) def. Ellis/Gaytan-Leach (UT) 8-6
3. Lindsey/Ebada (UA) def. Damico/Martin (UT) 8-5

Order of Finish: 3,2

Singles

1. No. 13 Mary Anne Macfarlane (UA) def. No. 47 Aeriel Ellis (UT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-3
2. No. 119 Noel Scott (UT) def. No. 43 Alexa Guarachi (UA) 6-2, 6-4
3. Krista Damico (UT) def. No. 104 Courtney McLane (UA) 6-1, 6-2
4. Alex Clay (UA) def. Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) 6-2, 7-5
5. Lina Padegimaite (UT) def. Taylor Lindsey (UA) 6-3, 6-1
6. Elizabeth Begley (UT) def. Antonia Foehse (UA) 6-4, 6-2

Order of Finish: 3,4,5,2,1,6*

- UA -