Navarro Records Singles Upset, but Tigers Fall to No. 15 Gamecocks Thursday

CLEMSON, S.C. – Senior Fernanda Navarro recorded the biggest singles win of her career, but 15^th-ranked South Carolina overpowered the Clemson women’s tennis team on Thursday, winning 6-1 at the Duckworth Family Tennis Facility in Clemson, S.C. With the loss, the Tigers dropped to 4-3, while the Gamecocks improved to 3-1 with the victory. South Carolina was the third top-20 opponent the Tigers have faced in the last seven days.

South Carolina won the doubles point on Courts 2 and 3, in that order. At No. 1 doubles, the Tigers’ third-ranked pair of Marie-Alexandre Leduc and Fernanda Navarro were in a 4-4 battle with the Gamecocks’ 11^th-ranked Ingrid Gamarra Martins and Mia Horvit when play was abandoned.

The Gamecocks opened singles play with wins at No. 5 and 4, in that order, to take a 3-0 lead. Then, Navarro recorded her statement win, upsetting 25^th-ranked Paige Cline in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 2 singles. South Carolina claimed wins on the remaining courts to provide the final margin, but Leduc (at No. 1), Laura Marti (at No. 6) and Sydney Riley (at No. 3), each put up a good fight against their Gamecock opponents. Leduc lost a close contest to 12^th-ranked Gamarra Martins, 6-4, 7-6(5), and Riley battled for three sets against No. 69 Mia Horvit.

Photos by Lawton Hilliard:

“I was very proud of our Tigers tonight, despite our loss," said Head Coach Nancy Harris. "We had four players who gave us a fighting chance, and congratulations to Fernanda at the second position for her win. The team lifted their performance from our last loss against Florida State, and showed as a team they are getting better. We look forward to the challenge of the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday here at home.”

OF NOTE

• Fernanda Navarro’s 6-3, 6-1 win over 25^th-ranked Paige Cline at No. 2 singles was the highest-ranked singles win of her career for the senior from Guadalajara, Mexico.
• The battle between Leduc and Navarro and Gamarra Martins and Horvit at No. 1 doubles was not the first between the two teams. The duos met in the semifinals of the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships on November 10, 2018. The Tigers won that contest, 7-6(8), 6-4, and went on to win the national title at the prestigious tournament.
• The Gamecocks were the third-consecutive top-20 opponent the Tigers have faced in the last seven days, as they met LSU, currently ranked 18^th nationally, and Florida State, currently ranked in a tie for 20^th, at the ITA Kick-off Weekend event in Tallahassee, Fla. last weekend.

UP NEXT
The schedule does not get any easier for the Tigers, who host No. 5 Georgia on Saturday, Feb. 2. The match against the Bulldogs is set for 4 p.m. at the Duckworth Family Tennis Facility.