Georgia Wins ITA Kickoff Weekend Championship, Defeats South Carolina 4-1

Clemson, S.C. — The No. 4-ranked Georgia women’s tennis team punched its ticket to the 2024 ITA National Team Indoor Championships after it knocked off South Carolina, 4-1, in the ITA Kickoff Weekend championship match at the Duckworth Family Indoor Center on Saturday.

“We came out firing,” head coach Drake Bernstein said. “Our doubles has been steadily improving, especially in the last month here. I’m just happy with the way we competed down the stretch there with Mell saving match points and again, with the way we took care of business in doubles.”

The Bulldogs (2-1) and the Gamecocks (3-1) opened up to a back-and-forth battle in doubles play. Despite dropping a match on court one, Georgia bounced back immediately as the No. 58 duo of Aysegul Mert and Dasha Vidmanova secured a 6-3 victory over Sarah Hamner and Misa Malkin.

Within minutes, the tandem of Mell Reasco and Alexandra Vecic followed up with a 6-3 victory of their own against Shahar Biran and Elise Mills to secure the doubles point for the Bulldogs. 

In singles play, No. 70 Anastasiia Lopata doubled Georgia’s team score to 2-0 as she earned her second singles win of the tournament in a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Malkin in straight sets.

After a South Carolina win on court one, No. 108 Mai Nirundorn followed suit with her second win in as many days as she secured a 7-5, 6-2 victory over Olympe Lancelot to extend Georgia’s lead to 3-1.

With two battles in the third set remaining on courts two and three, No. 116 Mell Reasco overcame a one-set deficit to earn a 1-6, 6-3, 7-5 comeback victory over No. 76 Biran and clinch the title for the Bulldogs.

No. 4 Georgia will now take the week in preparation for its second road trip of the season as it takes on No. 10 Texas on Sunday, Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. CT in Austin.

Saturday Singles Results

No. 6 Ayana Akli (SCAR) def. No. 35 Alexandra Vecic (UGA) 7-5, 6-4

No. 30 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) vs. No. 4 Sarah Hamner (SCAR) 6-3, 4-6, 3-2, unfinished

No. 116 Mell Reasco (UGA) def. No. 76 Shahar Biran (SCAR) 1-6, 6-3, 7-5

No. 70 Anastasiia Lopata (UGA) def. Misa Malkin (SCAR) 6-2, 6-2

Guillermina Grant (UGA) vs. Elise Mills (SCAR) 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 2-0, unfinished

No. 108 Mai Nirundorn (UGA) def. Olympe Lancelot (SCAR) 7-5, 6-2

Saturday Doubles Results

Ayana Akli/Olympe Lancelot (SCAR) def. No. 15 Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) 6-1

No. 58 Dasha Vidmanova/Aysegul Mert (UGA) def. Sarah Hamner/Misa Malkin (SCAR) 6-3

Alexandra Vecic/Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Shahar Biran/Elise Mills (SCAR) 6-3

Match Notes:

South Carolina 3-1

No. 4 Georgia 2-1

Order of finish: Doubles (1,2,3); Singles (4,1,6,3)

ITA Kickoff 2nd Round: Match Moved to Clemson, S.C. due to rain/construction