LOUISVILLE, Ky. – The Clemson women’s tennis team (11-1) traveled to Louisville, Ky. and came back from multiple deficits to beat the Cardinals on their home court by a score of 4-3. After dropping the doubles point, four Tigers were able to secure victories, as Sophia Hatton and Dani Medvedeva each earned vital wins on the brink of defeat.
“We are experiencing a lot of ‘firsts’ as a team and are learning on the go,” remarked Head Coach Amy Sargeant following the dramatic victory. “Our first road win as a ranked team came with a lot of guts and willingness to find a way.”
The Tigers started off well in doubles play, with Hatton and Medvedeva cruising through their match with a 6-0 win. Cristina Mayorova and Leigh Van Zyl dropped their match to the Cardinals on Court 2 by a score of 6-2m and Eleni Louka and Samantha Buyckx fell to Verma and Di Palma by a score of 6-4 as the Cardinals took the doubles point.
In singles play, Cristina Mayorova continued her dominant start to the season and made quick work of her opponent, winning her match 6-1, 6-2. Mayorova’s impressive single record improved to 11-1.
On Court 1, Eleni Louka pulled out a gritty 6-1, 7-6 win against her opponent, bringing the score back to 2-2. Following a Louisville victory on Court 4, Clemson needed to win each of its last two matches to earn the victory.
Both needed three sets to determine a victor. Hatton came back after dropping the first set to win a great match against Sasha Gorchanyuk with a score of 2-6, 6-2, 6-4.
Medvedeva closed the book on the Cardinals to complete the comeback for the day, winning her match in dramatic fashion, 6-2, 6-7, 6-4, as the Tigers celebrated their first ACC win of the season.
“Culture wins are the biggest kind. We are going to embrace this moment, learn from it and continue to play on our terms.”
The Tigers will be back in action on Sunday when they travel to take on Notre Dame. First serve is scheduled for 11 a.m.
For all the most up-to-date information regarding Clemson women’s tennis, visit ClemsonTigers.com and follow @ClemsonWTennis on Twitter and Instagram.
