Women’s Tennis: No. 20 UVA edges 10th-ranked Blue Devils, 4-3

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

The No. 20 Virginia women’s tennis team knocked off No. 10 Duke with a 4-3 win on Sunday afternoon at the Virginia Tennis Facility at the Boar’s Head Resort.

The match came down to the finals singles court as Sara Ziodato clinched the win with her 7-6 (7-5), 6-4 win on court four.

UVA (7-3, 1-1 ACC) started the match strong by winning the doubles point to take a 1-0 edge. Elaine Chervinsky and Natasha Subhash teamed up for a 6-2 win on court two. Duke (11-2, 1-1) tied it up with a win on court three, leaving the point up to court one. With the set tied 4-4, Julia Adams and Melodie Collard won the next two points to secure the doubles point and a 6-4 win at one.

It turned out to be a huge point as Duke and Virginia split the singles matches. Duke won the first two singles points to take a 2-1 lead in the match. UVA tied it up 2-2 when Natasha Subhash won in straight sets on court two. Virginia took a 3-2 advantage with Hibah Shaikh’s straight-set win at five. Shaikh battled to a 6-2 tiebreak win in the opening set.

That left courts four and six remaining. Ziodato was in a tight competition in the second set as they traded points. Collard had sent her match to a third set after dropping the first set but winning 6-1 in the second. Collard fell 7-5 just before Ziodato won back-to-back games to win 6-4 and give UVA the victory.

WAHOOWA! The Cavaliers took the doubles point and then picked up three wins in singles, including the clincher by Sara Ziodato to top No. 10 Duke 4-3
Recap: https://t.co/WOSiCgDY7y pic.twitter.com/cRaF7566jN

— Virginia Women’s Tennis (@UVAWomensTennis) February 27, 2023

NO. 20 VIRGINIA 4, NO. 10 DUKE 3

Singles
1. Chloe Beck (DU) def. Julia Adams (VA) 6-2, 6-1
2. Natasha Subhash (VA) def. Cameron Morra (DU) 6-1, 6-4
3. Emma Jackson (DU) def. Elaine Chervinsky (VA) 6-4, 6-4
4. Sara Ziodato (VA) def. Ellie Coleman (DU) 7-6 (7-5), 6-4
5. Hibah Shaikh (VA) def. Iuliia Bryzgalova (DU) 7-6 (6-2), 6-3
6. Brianna Shvets (DU) def. Melodie Collard (VA) 7-5, 1-6, 7-5

Doubles
1. Julia Adams/Melodie Collard (VA) def. Chloe Beck/Cameron Morra (DU) 6-4
2. Elaine Chervinsky/Natasha Subhash (VA) def. Emma Jackson/Ellie Coleman (DU) 6-2
3. Iuliia Bryzgalova/Georgia Drummy (DU) def. Hibah Shaikh/Sara Ziodato (VA) 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3,1); Singles (1,3,2,5,6,4)