Syracuse drops final three matches in a 4-3 loss at Virginia

In the opening match of Atlantic Coast Conference play, Syracuse (3-1, 0-1 Atlantic Coast) lost 4-3 to Virginia (3-2, 2-0). After leading three points to one. The Orange dropped the final three matches with the final loss coming in a third-set tiebreaker.

Syracuse found itself losing on all three courts midway through the three doubles matches. Trailing 3-4 at both second and third doubles, the Orange went on a run in both matches. Sofya Golubovskaya and Anna Shkudun rallied to clinch the doubles point at third doubles with three consecutive games. Moments before, Maria Tritou and Dina Hegab got SU on the board with three consecutive games at second doubles themselves. Both partnerships won 6-4 to give SU the 1-0 lead.

After a come from behind win in doubles, Hegab rolled right into singles, where she comfortably won 6-3 6-3 at fifth singles to give the Orange an important singles point.

Once Gabriela Knutson came from one set down to claim SU’s third overall point in a 3-6 6-3 6-3 win at first singles, the Orange appeared to be in the driver’s seat on the overall scoreboard. However, the Orange trailed in all three matches still on the court. SU needed someone to mount a comeback if it wanted to avenge a 6-1 loss to UVA in last season’s conference opener.

Much like her last singles match against Columbia last Sunday, Shkudun played a tight first set that culminated in a tiebreak. She lost the first set in the breaker and fell 6-1 in the second. With Virginia now down 3-2, all eyes turned to the final two matches, both in third sets.

At third singles, Golubovskaya pulled away late in the first set to win 6-4, but was pegged back in the second, losing by the same score. With the match level at 1-1 in the third, she never found her form again, dropping the final five games of the set and match.

As the Golubovskaya match ended, the overall match was tied, and Miranda Ramirez was in trouble. She won the opener 6-4 before faltering on serve down 5-6 in the second set. Cassie Mercer broke Ramirez’s serve to win the second set 7-5 and set up a third set showdown. In the third, Ramirez found herself down 4-2, before getting the break of serve back to level the match yet again. Both Ramirez and Mercer produced pressure holds of serve in the final moments, leading to a match-deciding tiebreaker. Mercer won the tiebreak 7-4 and with it the match, handing SU its first loss of the 2018 campaign.

Syracuse will look to rebound from this loss as it returns to Drumlins Country Club next Friday to host Connecticut.