Women’s Tennis Falls to Houston in AAC Championship Quarterfinal, 4-2

Friday, April 23

Lake Nona, Fla.

11 AM

Tulane University

(5) Houston

Photo by: American Athletic Conference

Women’s Tennis Falls to Houston in AAC Championship Quarterfinal, 4-2

Apr 23, 2021 | Women's Tennis

Box Score

LAKE NONA, Fla. – Seeded fourth in the 2021 American Athletic Conference Championship, the Tulane women's tennis team had its season come to a close in the quarterfinals in a 4-1 defeat against fifth-seeded Houston on Friday afternoon at the USTA National Campus.

The Green Wave (13-9) rallied at the start behind gritty doubles play, as the duo of Lahari Yelamanchili and Charlotte Russell closed out a 6-4 win on court three.

Holding the lead on all three courts for most of the competition, the Wave clinched the doubles point on court two behind a 6-3 win by Adelaide Lavery and Kristen Borland to take a 1-0 advantage into singles. The victory extended Lavery's and Borland's winning streak to four.

The Cougars (15-7) stormed back early in singles by taking the first set on five of six courts. Houston drew even with the first of three consecutive, straight-set singles victories on courts two, three and six, respectively, on its way to opening up a 3-1 advantage in the overall match.

However, despite dropping first sets on courts one and five, Tulane managed to the second frame on both courts while remaining up one set on court four to pull the momentum back in its favor.

Adelaide Lavery collected the Green Wave's second point with a 7-6(6), 6-4 win over Phonexay Chitdara at the No. 4 spot in the lineup to cut the deficit to just one, 3-2.

On court one, Mackenzie Clark responded from a 7-5, first-set loss to win the second, 6-3, against Mimi Kendall-Woseley. Despite trailing 3-1 early in the third frame, Clark closed the gap. Behind 5-4 in the set, she fought off three consecutive match-points to stay alive and eventually take a 6-5 advantage.

However, Houston was able to hold on for a three-set win on court five and end the Green Wave's comeback bid.

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Houston 4, Tulane 2
Singles competition
1. Mackenzie Clark (TLN) vs. Mimi Kendall-Woseley (HOU) 5-7, 6-3, 6-5, unfinished
2. Laura Slisane (HOU) def. M.C. Meredith (TLN) 6-0, 6-1
3. Sophie Gerits (HOU) def. Lahari Yelamanchili (TLN) 6-4, 6-3
4. Adelaide Lavery (TLN) def. Phonexay Chitdara (HOU) 7-6 (8-6), 6-4
5. Azul Pedemonti (HOU) def. Kristen Borland (TLN) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
6. Blanca Cortijo (HOU) def. Cora Barber (TLN) 6-3, 6-1
Doubles competition
1. Mackenzie Clark/M.C. Meredith (TLN) vs. Mimi Kendall-Woseley/Laura Slisane (HOU) 5-4, unfinished
2. Adelaide Lavery/Kristen Borland (TLN) def. Phonexay Chitdara/Sophie Gerits (HOU) 6-3
3. Lahari Yelamanchili/Charlotte Russell (TLN) def. Azul Pedemonti/Blanca Cortijo (HOU) 6-4

Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (2,4,5)