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Auburn University women's tennis team was defeated by Texas Longhorns 4-1 on Sunday, on the road. The Tigers got off to a great start by taking the doubles point, but failed to win any singles matches at the Texas Tennis Center.
The win marked Texas' fourth win this season over a top-15 opponent and improved its record to 7-2. The loss dropped Auburn's record to 5–4. The Tigers remain on the road for a neutral site game against Pepperdine in Orlando on Friday, Feb. 23.
Final from Austin pic.twitter.com/v6cqLCFclr
— Auburn Women's Tennis (@AuburnWTennis) February 18, 2024
On the first court, Ariana Arseneault and DJ Bennett played together for the first time this season and dominated Sabina Zeynalova and Taisiya Pachkaleva 6-1. Carolyn Ansari and Selin Ovunc stepped onto court two from their usual spot on court three in the doubles lineup Saturday. The Auburn duo jumped out to a 4-3 lead and later won the match over Malaika Rapolu and Tanya Sasnoukaya by a score of 6-4. Ansari and Ovunc's win gave Auburn its fifth doubles point this season.
In singles, Arseneault came back strongly from a 4-1 deficit in the opening set to force a tie break against 29th-ranked Sasnouskaya. Arseneault then won the close tiebreaker 8–6 to come from behind to win the set. Bennett also came back from being down 3-1 during her first set against Rapolu, winning the set in a tie break. The Longhorns controlled most of the games' opening sets, claiming them on the other four courts.
Texas got a straight-set win on court five to tie the match at one, then Auburn freshman Ava Esposito Cogan got a second-set win to force a decisive third set on court six. Texas' Charlotte Chavatipon then picked up a win on court six, while Sabina Zeynalova won her match against Ansari on court one to give the Longhorns a 3-1 lead.
Auburn stayed in the fight on all three remaining courts, including Bennett who at one point had a 5-3 lead in her second set on court three. Ultimately, Vivian Ovrootsky won the decisive third set over Esposito Cogan to claim the match on court six and clinch the team victory for the Longhorns.
Women's doubles:
1. Ariana Arseneault/DJ Bennett (AUB) def. #37 Sabina Zeynalova/Taisiya Pachkaleva (TEXAS) 6-1
2. Selin Ovunc/Carolyn Ansari (AUB) def. Malaika Rapolu/Tanya Sasnouskaya (TEXAS) 6-4
3. Charlotte Chavatipon/Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) vs. Ava Esposito Cogan/Adeline Flach (AUB) 4-5, unfinished
Women's singles:
1. Sabina Zeynalova (TEXAS) def. #13 Carolyn Ansari (AUB) 6-3, 6-3
2. #29 Tanya Sasnouskaya (TEXAS) vs. #61 Ariana Arseneault (AUB) 6-7 (6-8), 6-3, unfinished
3. #36 Malaika Rapolu (TEXAS) vs. #43 DJ Bennett (AUB) 6-7 (5-7), 5-5, unfinished
4. #120 Charlotte Chavatipon (TEXAS) def. #104 Selin Ovunc (AUB) 6-3, 6-3
5. Taisiya Pachkaleva (TEXAS) def. Adeline Flach (AUB) 6-1, 6-0
6. Vivian Ovrootsky (TEXAS) def. Ava Esposito Cogan (AUB) 6-3, 5-7, 6-1