The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor (Big 12 finals)
No. 25 Women's Tennis falls to No. 7 Baylor, 4-1 in Big 12 finals
05.01.2011 | Women's Tennis
May 1, 2011
WACO, Texas - Texas sophomore Aeriel Ellis scored a straight-set win over Baylor's 11th-ranked Sona Novakova, but it was not enough on Sunday, as second-seeded Texas (16-7) suffered a 4-1 defeat to top-seeded Baylor (25-3) in the finals of the Big 12 Championships at the Baylor Tennis Center. The Longhorns were making their seventh consecutive appearance in the Big 12 finals and their 14th finals appearance in the event's 15-year history.
Texas would strike first in the doubles session before Baylor added a pair of wins to take the doubles point. At first doubles, UT's Amanda Craddock and Cierra Gaytan-Leach broke the serve of Baylor's Nina Secerbegovic and Karolina Filipiak to even the match at five games apiece. Texas held serve to take a 6-5 lead and broke the Bears once more to assume a 7-5 lead. Craddock closed out the Bears with a service ace, as Texas claimed the match, 8-5.
At third doubles, Baylor's Diana Nakic and Sona Novakova broke UT's Maggie Mello and Juliana Gajic to take a 6-3 lead. Texas broke Baylor to close the gap to 6-4, but Baylor broke Texas and held serve in the following game to preserve an 8-4 win. At second doubles, UT's Krista Damico and Aeriel Ellis trailed Baylor's Taylor Ormond and Jelena Stanivuk by a 7-4 count before breaking the Bears' serve and holding serve to close the gap to 7-6. But, the Bears held serve in the following game and closed out the match, 8-6 to claim the doubles point.
Baylor assumed a 2-0 lead with a victory at third singles, where the Bears' Secerbegovic posted a 6-0, 6-3 win over UT's Mello. At first singles, UT's Ellis broke Baylor's 11th-ranked Novakova to take a 3-2 lead and raced through to win the set, 6-2. As was the case in the opening set, Ellis broke early on in set two and took a 2-1 lead, which ballooned to a 5-1 cushion behind a hold of serve, another service break and an additional service hold. Ellis finished off 6-2 second-set win to cut the Baylor lead to 2-1 and nail down her third victory over the weekend against a ranked opponent.
At sixth singles, Baylor's Ormond broke UT's Gaytan-Leach at 5-all and held serve in the following game to take the opening set, 7-5. Ormond broke Gaytan-Leach once more to take a 3-2 lead in the second set. Trailing 5-4, Gaytan-Leach fought off multiple match points on Ormond's serve before Ormond converted in the end and gave the Bears a 3-1 lead.
At second singles, UT's Damico broke for a 4-3 lead over Nakic in the opening set, but Nakic broke Damico, held serve and broke Damico once more to claim the set, 6-4. Damico trailed 5-2 in the following set before holding serve, breaking Nakic and holding serve again to even the set at five. Nakic held serve in the following game and broke Damico in the following game to take the set, 7-5 and clinch the 4-1 victory for the Bears. The remaining matches were suspended.
Texas' Craddock fought to push her match at fourth singles to a third set when her match was called upon Nakic's victory over Damico. Craddock dropped the first set to Baylor's Stanivuk, 6-4. Craddock broke Stanivuk for a 5-3 second-set lead before Stanivuk returned the favor in the ensuing game. But, Craddock broke Stanivuk's serve once more to take the set, 6-4 just prior to Nakic's victory.
Texas' Gajic claimed the first set from Baylor's Filipiak at fifth singles, 6-2 before Filipiak took the second set, 6-2. Gajic trailed 3-1 in the third set when the match was called.
The Longhorns will now await the NCAA Championships selection announcement, which will air Tuesday, May 3 on NCAA.com at 4 p.m. Central. The opening round of the 64-team NCAA Championships will get underway on Friday, May 13.
2011 Big 12 Championships - Finals
No. 7 Baylor 4, No. 25 Texas 1
Doubles - Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
1 #54 Amanda Craddock/Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) def. #59 Nina Secerbegovic/Karolina Filipiak (BU) 8-5
2 Taylor Ormond/Jelena Stanivuk (BU) def. Krista Damico/Aeriel Ellis (UT) - 8-6
3 Diana Nakic/Sona Novakova (BU) def. Juliana Gajic/Maggie Mello (UT) - 8-4
Singles - Order of Finish: 3, 1, 6, 2
1 #26 Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. #11 Sona Novakova (BU) - 6-2, 6-2
2 #46 Diana Nakic (BU) def. Krista Damico (UT) - 6-4, 7-5
3 #47 Nina Secerbegovic (BU) def. Maggie Mello (UT) - 6-0, 6-3
4 Amanda Craddock (UT) vs. #116 Jelena Stanivuk (BU) - 4-6, 6-4, susp.-
5 Juliana Gajic (UT) vs. Karolina Filipiak (BU) - 6-2, 2-6, 1-3, susp.
6 Taylor Ormond (BU) def. Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) - 7-5, 6-4
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Texas head coach Patty Fendick-McCain
"We fought hard, as we expect to each time out. We didn't play our best tennis, and we knew we needed to. We're still waiting for everybody to play their best tennis on the same day. We're looking for that in the postseason from this point on."
