Behind a dominant singles effort in which Georgia dropped only one set, the seventh-ranked Georgia women’s tennis team (7-1, 1-0) defeated No. 26 Ole Miss (7-1, 0-1) 4-0 in Oxford on Friday night.
Sophomores Kennedy Shaffer and Laura Patterson each had strong performances in the win, as the pair clinched the doubles point on the No. 3 court then went on to win their respective singles matches. Shaffer got credit for the match clincher, winning in her first showing of the season on the No. 2 court.
“It was a great match,” said Georgia head coach Jeff Wallace. “Everyone on the team showed great fight tonight.”
Doubles got off to a rocky start for the Bulldogs as Caroline Brinson andSilvia Garcia fell 6-0 to snap the pair’s five-match win streak on the second court. Georgia roared back, though, claiming a 6-1 victory on the first doubles court from Ellen Perez and Mariana Gould. The third pairing of Shaffer and Patterson sealed the doubles point for the Bulldogs with a 6-4 win on the third court to snatch a 1-0 lead.
Perez dominated in her singles match, making quick work of 40th-ranked Arianne Hartono to the tune of a 6-1, 6-1 win to give the Bulldogs a 2-0 lead on the scoreboard. Shortly after, the match ended in a blink as Laura Patterson took the No. 6 court 6-4, 6-1 and Shaffer took No. 2 6-3, 6-3 to end the match.
In a match that didn’t finish, junior Caroline Brinson fought hard on the No. 3 court to overcome a 5-2 deficit to take the first set 7-5. She was then winning 2-1 in the second set at the end of the match.
Georgia will next head to Starkville to take on No. 25 Mississippi State on Sunday at 1 p.m.
For all the latest on Georgia women’s tennis, follow the team on Twitter (@ugawomenstennis), Instagram (@ugawomenstennis) and on Facebook (Georgia Women’s Tennis), and keep checking in to georgiadogs.com.
Results
#7 Georgia defeats #26 Ole Miss (4-0)
Singles
1. #14 Ellen Perez (UGA) def. #40 Arianne Hartono (OM) 6-1, 6-1
2. #98 Kennedy Shaffer (UGA) def. #79 Natalie Suk (OM) 6-3, 6-3
3. #62 Mai El Kamash (OM) vs. #22 Caroline Brinson (UGA) 5-7, 1-2, unfinished
4. #68 Tea Jandric (OM) vs. #64 Silvia Garcia (UGA) 6-1, 4-4, unfinished
5. Zalina Khairudinova (OM) vs. Mariana Gould (UGA) 6-7 (4-7), unfinished
6. Laura Patterson (UGA) def. Marija Milutinovic (OM) 6-4, 6-1
Doubles
1. #40 Perez/Gould (UGA) def. #24 El Kamash/Hartono (OM) 6-1
2. Suk/ Jandric (OM) def. #38 Brinson/Garcia (UGA) 6-0
3. Shaffer/Patterson (UGA) def. Khairudinova/Milutinovic (OM) 6-4