Jan. 29, 2011

CORAL GABLES, Fla. — The 22nd-ranked South Carolina Gamecock women’s tennis team suffered a 7-0 loss to No. 21 Arizona State on Saturday in Coral Gables, Fla., in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend. South Carolina is now 2-1 on the year, while Arizona State improved to 3-0. The Gamecocks will face the loser of No. 54 Florida International and No. 11 Miami on Sunday at 10 a.m.

Arizona State took the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. Josefin Andersson and Madeleine Saari-Byström fell first on court two 8-2 against Jacqueline Cako and Michelle Brycki. The Gamecocks’ Anya Morgina and Katerina Popova had a 2-0 lead to start at the No. 3 position over Sianna Simmons and Ashlee Brown, but the Sun Devils charged back to take the match 8-4 and clinch the point.

On court one, South Carolina’s Dijana Stojic and Dominika Kanakova trailed Kelcy McKenna and Micaela Hein 6-3 after nine games. Stojic and Kanakova managed to win the next two games, though, to move to one break down. The match was suspended after ASU clinched the doubles point.

The day did not get better for the Gamecocks in singles play, as Arizona State swept through all six positions. Cako defeated Stojic first on court two 6-0, 6-3. At three, Saari-Byström lost to Hein in straight sets 6-2, 7-6(4). Hein led 6-5 in the second set before Saari-Byström forced a tiebreaker. Just moments after Saari-Byström lost, Andersson fell 6-3, 6-2 to Brown at the No. 6 spot to give Arizona State the victory.

The Sun Devils won next on court five with Hannah James defeating Kanakova 6-2, 6-2. On court one, McKenna took a 6-4, 7-6(3) decision from Morgina. Morgina held a 3-0 advantage in the first set before McKenna claimed six of the next seven games. In the second set, McKenna led 4-0, but Morgina fought back to win five straight games for a 5-4 lead.

Popova and Brycki were the final two to finish at No. 4 singles. Popova, playing in her first dual match for the Gamecocks, held a 3-0 lead in the first set, however, she lost in a tiebreaker 7-4. Popova turned it around in the second set to win 6-4 and force a super tiebreaker for the final set. Brycki had two match points up 9-7, but Popova won the next two rallies for 9-all after the third changeover. The final two points, though, went to Brycki for the win.

Singles
1. #34 Kelcy McKenna, ASU, def. #37 Anya Morgina, USC, 6-4, 7-6(3)
2. #38 Jacqueline Cako, ASU, def. #93 Dijana Stojic, USC, 6-0, 6-3
3. #74 Micaela Hein, ASU, def. Madeleine Saari-Byström, USC, 6-2, 7-6(4)
4. Michelle Brycki, ASU, def. Katerina Popova, USC, 7-6(4), 4-6, (11-9)
5. #90 Hannah James, ASU, def. Dominika Kanakova, USC, 6-2, 6-2
6. Ashlee Brown, ASU, def. Josefin Andersson, USC, 6-3, 6-2

Order of Finish: 2, 3, 6, 5, 1, 3

Doubles
1. Kanakova/Stojic, USC, vs. #28 McKenna/Hein, ASU, 5-6 suspended
2. Cako/Brycki, ASU, def. Andersson/Saari-Bystrom, USC, 8-2
3. Sianna Simmons/Brown, ASU, def. Morgina/Popova, USC, 8-4

Order of Finish: 2, 3