The University of Mississippi Athletics
Women’s Tennis Dominates Doubles at Day One of Music City Scramble
10/9/2020 | Women's Tennis
Rebels Won Six of Seven Matches Against Top Conference Opponents
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Ole Miss women's tennis opened its 2020-21 season in strong fashion, winning six doubles matches on day one of three at the Music City Scramble on Friday.
Eight Ole Miss players competed in seven single-set doubles matches vs. Auburn, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, going 6-1 despite debuting three brand new pairings. Last spring, the Rebels were 7-4 in doubles against SEC opponents, and Ole Miss won eight of 11 dual matches last season when winning the doubles point.
vs. Auburn
Alexa Bortles and Sabina Machalova began the fall season in style, defeating the Tiger's Carolyn Ansari and Taylor Russo in a high-powered match by a score of 6-3. Both teams had stellar 2020 seasons, with the Ole Miss tandem reaching as high as No. 17 in the ITA doubles rankings, while on the other side Russo was named ITA Southern Region Player of the Year.
Ole Miss finished the sweep against the Tigers thanks to two new doubles pairings, as Tiphanie Fiquet and Kelsey Mize defeated Auburn's Shir Azran and Selin Ovunc, 7-5, and newcomers Lillian Gabrielson and Elysia Pool won against Georgie Axon and Yu Chen, 6-3, in their Ole Miss debuts.
vs. Vanderbilt
The Rebels had to fight through two dramatic tiebreakers to come away with a sweep of the Commodores. Bortles and Machalova led the charge again, triumphing over Vanderbilt's Emma Kurtz and Anessa Lee, 7-6 (3). The Rebel duo won in come-from-behind fashion, overcoming a 5-1 deficit and fending off four match points in the process.
In a battle of their own, Fiquet and Mize remained hot with a 7-6 (3) win over Vanderbilt's Marcella Cruz and Holly Staff.
vs. Tennessee
Ole Miss suffered its first loss of the day to the Volunteers, with Grace Anne Jones and Reka Zadori falling, 6-3, to Tennessee's Callie Creath and Johanna Silva.
The Rebels were able to bounce back, though, with Gabrielson and Pool winning again by a score of 6-2 over Kylie Duckworth and Rebeka Mertena. The four-game margin was the largest of the day for the Rebels.
Coming Up
Ole Miss will return to action tomorrow to compete in singles competition for day two of the Music City Scramble. The Rebels are scheduled to face Tennessee at 9 a.m. CT, followed by Vanderbilt at noon.
Results
Alexa Bortles/Sabina Machalova def. Carolyn Ansari/Taylor Russo (AUB), 6-3
Alexa Bortles/Sabina Machalova def. Emma Kurtz/Anessa Lee (VANDY), 7-6 (3)
Tiphanie Fiquet/Kelsey Mize def. Shir Azran/Selin Ovunc (AUB), 7-5
Tiphanie Fiquet/Kelsey Mize def. Marcella Cruz/Holly Staff (VANDY), 7-6 (3)
Lillian Gabrielsen/Elysia Pool def. Georgie Axon/Yu Chen (AUB), 6-3
Lillian Gabrielsen/Elysia Pool def. Kylie Duckworth/Rebeka Mertena (UT), 6-2
Callie Creath/Johanna Silva (UT) def. Grace Anne Jones/Reka Zadori, 6-3
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also follow Coach Beyers on Twitter, @MarkBeyers.
Eight Ole Miss players competed in seven single-set doubles matches vs. Auburn, Tennessee and Vanderbilt, going 6-1 despite debuting three brand new pairings. Last spring, the Rebels were 7-4 in doubles against SEC opponents, and Ole Miss won eight of 11 dual matches last season when winning the doubles point.
vs. Auburn
Alexa Bortles and Sabina Machalova began the fall season in style, defeating the Tiger's Carolyn Ansari and Taylor Russo in a high-powered match by a score of 6-3. Both teams had stellar 2020 seasons, with the Ole Miss tandem reaching as high as No. 17 in the ITA doubles rankings, while on the other side Russo was named ITA Southern Region Player of the Year.
Ole Miss finished the sweep against the Tigers thanks to two new doubles pairings, as Tiphanie Fiquet and Kelsey Mize defeated Auburn's Shir Azran and Selin Ovunc, 7-5, and newcomers Lillian Gabrielson and Elysia Pool won against Georgie Axon and Yu Chen, 6-3, in their Ole Miss debuts.
vs. Vanderbilt
The Rebels had to fight through two dramatic tiebreakers to come away with a sweep of the Commodores. Bortles and Machalova led the charge again, triumphing over Vanderbilt's Emma Kurtz and Anessa Lee, 7-6 (3). The Rebel duo won in come-from-behind fashion, overcoming a 5-1 deficit and fending off four match points in the process.
In a battle of their own, Fiquet and Mize remained hot with a 7-6 (3) win over Vanderbilt's Marcella Cruz and Holly Staff.
vs. Tennessee
Ole Miss suffered its first loss of the day to the Volunteers, with Grace Anne Jones and Reka Zadori falling, 6-3, to Tennessee's Callie Creath and Johanna Silva.
The Rebels were able to bounce back, though, with Gabrielson and Pool winning again by a score of 6-2 over Kylie Duckworth and Rebeka Mertena. The four-game margin was the largest of the day for the Rebels.
Coming Up
Ole Miss will return to action tomorrow to compete in singles competition for day two of the Music City Scramble. The Rebels are scheduled to face Tennessee at 9 a.m. CT, followed by Vanderbilt at noon.
Results
Alexa Bortles/Sabina Machalova def. Carolyn Ansari/Taylor Russo (AUB), 6-3
Alexa Bortles/Sabina Machalova def. Emma Kurtz/Anessa Lee (VANDY), 7-6 (3)
Tiphanie Fiquet/Kelsey Mize def. Shir Azran/Selin Ovunc (AUB), 7-5
Tiphanie Fiquet/Kelsey Mize def. Marcella Cruz/Holly Staff (VANDY), 7-6 (3)
Lillian Gabrielsen/Elysia Pool def. Georgie Axon/Yu Chen (AUB), 6-3
Lillian Gabrielsen/Elysia Pool def. Kylie Duckworth/Rebeka Mertena (UT), 6-2
Callie Creath/Johanna Silva (UT) def. Grace Anne Jones/Reka Zadori, 6-3
For more information on Ole Miss Women's Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissWTennis, on Facebook at OleMissWTennis and on Instagram at OleMissWTennis. Also follow Coach Beyers on Twitter, @MarkBeyers.
Players Mentioned
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