North Carolina
Baylor
No. 8 UNC Drops Another Tight Match To No. 5 Baylor
February 11, 2012 | Women's Tennis
Feb. 11, 2012
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. --- No. 8 North Carolina raced out to a 3-0 lead but was unable to hold off No. 5 Baylor in a 4-3 consolation round loss Saturday night in the ITA National Team Indoor Championships at the Boar's Head Sports Club. Carolina won the doubles point and got singles victories from Tessa Lyons and Gina Suarez-Malaguti, but the Lady Bears closed with four straight wins to take the dual.
For the second straight night, Carolina (5-4) got a boost from its No. 3 doubles team. Lyons and senior Haley Hemm were first to finish, scoring an impressive 8-2 win over Sona Novakova and Ema Burgic. The All-America duo of Shinann Featherston and Lauren McHale then clinched the point with an 8-6 victory over Diana Nakic and Nicole Kosakowski on court one.
Baylor (10-2) was dealt a blow early in singles when Kosakowski was forced to retire after one set against Lyons on court six. The Tar Heel sophomore had cruised to a 6-1 win in the opening set before Kosakowski could not continue, giving UNC a 2-0 lead.
It would soon be 3-0, as Gina Suarez-Malaguti rebounded from two consecutive straight-set losses with a comprehensive 6-1, 6-0 victory over Megan Horter on court five.
The Lady Bears got on the board next with wins on courts two and three. Novakova was first to finish, topping Featherston at the No. 3 position, 6-1, 6-3. Nina Secerbegovic then make it 3-2 with her 6-4, 6-1 victory over No. 44 Zoe De Bruycker.
In a top-20 battle at the top of the lineup, No. 14 Nakic outlasted No. 16 McHale in a first-set tiebreak and then finished out a 7-6, 6-3 victory.
That left it to Burgic and No. 55 Caroline Price on court four to decide the match. Price took the opening set, 6-3, and led early in set two before falling to Burgic, 7-5. With the third set remaining to determine a winner, it was Burgic who prevailed, taking the final set and the match, 3-6, 7-5, 6-1.
Carolina will conclude play at the ITA National Team Indoor Championships Sunday.
No. 5 Baylor 4, No. 8 North Carolina 3
Doubles
1. Featherston/McHale (UNC) def. Nakic/Kosakowski (BU), 8-6
2. Secerbegovic/Horter (BU) led #43 De Bruycker/Slater (UNC), 6-5, DNF
3. Lyons/Hemm (UNC) def. Novakova/Burgic (BU), 8-2
Order of finish: 3, 1
Singles
1. #14 Diana Nakic (BU) def. #16 Lauren McHale (UNC), 7-6, 6-3
2. Nina Secerbegovic (BU) def. #44 Zoe De Bruycker (UNC), 6-4, 6-1
3. Sona Novakova (BU) def. Shinann Featherston (UNC), 6-1, 6-3
4. Ema Burgic (BU) def. #55 Caroline Price (UNC), 3-6, 7-5, 6-1
5. Gina Suarez-Malaguti (UNC) def. Megan Horter (BU), 6-1, 6-0
6. Tessa Lyons (UNC) def. Nicole Kosakowski (BU), 6-1, ret.
Order of finish: 6, 5, 3, 2, 1, 4
Players Mentioned
