The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
Baylor
No. 13 Women's Tennis edges No. 12 Baylor, 4-3
04.14.2012 | Women's Tennis
April 14, 2012
AUSTIN, Texas - No. 13 Texas (12-5, 5-0 Big 12) claimed a tight doubles session and added singles wins from Elizabeth Begley, Lina Padegimaite and the clinching win from Cierra Gaytan-Leach, as the Horns hung on for a 4-3 win over No. 12 Baylor (19-6, 5-2 Big 12) Saturday afternoon at UT's Penick-Allison Tennis Center.
The Longhorns opened the match by winning a tightly-contested doubles session to take the doubles point and assume a 1-0 lead. Texas' Begley and Aeriel Ellis led off with a convincing 8-4 win at the third slot over Baylor's Nicole Kosakowski and Jordaan Sanford. The Horns opened up a 5-0 lead before Baylor held and registered a service break to pull within 5-2. But, Texas held serve the rest of the way on its way to victory.
The remaining matches at the first and second doubles slots featured a pair of hard-fought battles that decided the doubles point. Trailing 8-7 at second doubles, UT's Padegimaite and Noel Scott broke the serve of Baylor's Sona Novakova and Diana Nakic to even the match at eight on a forehand winner from Padegimaite. The match went to a tiebreaker, where Baylor assumed a 5-3 lead. However, Scott and Padegimaite claimed the next four points to win the match, 7-5 and give the Horns the clinching point. Seconds later, Baylor's 20th-ranked tandem of Nina Secerbegovic and Ema Burgic preserved an 8-6 win over UT's Damico and Gaytan-Leach at first doubles.
Texas needed little time to extend its lead to 3-0, as Padegimaite and Begley quickly closed out a pair of singles victories. Padegimaite defeated Baylor's Sanford by a 6-0, 6-3 count at fifth singles, and Begley blanked Baylor's Megan Horter, 6-0, 6-0 at sixth singles.
The Bears, however, inched their way back into the match with consecutive singles victories at the first, second and third positions. The 24th-ranked Secerbegovic defeated UT's 64th-ranked Damico at first singles, 6-4, 6-0, and Baylor's 17th-ranked Nakic defeated UT's 26th-ranked Ellis, 6-4, 6-3 at second singles. Baylor pulled even when the 45th-rnaked Novakova knocked off UT's Scott at third singles, 6-2, 6-3.
Texas' Gaytan-Leach took the first set off of Baylor's Burgic at fourth singles, 6-2. Gaytan-Leach opened up a 5-2 lead in the second set only to see Burgic claim the next five games to take the set, 7-5 and push the match into a third set. Gaytan-Leach held serve in the first game and picked up the only service break she needed in the next game to assume a 2-0 lead. Gaytan-Leach held once more for a 3-0 lead before Burgic held serve in the following game to close within 3-1.
Both players would hold serve through the remainder of the match. At 5-3, serving 30-15, Gaytan-Leach struck a forehand that clipped the net cord and fell into play untouched by Burgic. Gaytan-Leach clipped the net cord once again on match point, and Burgic's scramble for the ball went for naught, as Gaytan-Leach closed out the win and preserved the 4-3 win for Texas.
Texas resumes play on Sunday when it hosts Texas Tech. First serve has been moved up to 9 a.m. Central with the singles matches being played first due to the threat of inclement weather Sunday in Austin. The match will feature the Big 12's two undefeated teams atop the conference standings. The match will be televised live on Longhorn Network.
Texas will recognize its senior class of Krista Damico, Maya Zein-El-Abdin, Julia Wiegand and Carlene Leyden prior to the match.
POST-MATCH COMMENTS
Sophomore Cierra Gaytan-Leach
On her mindset heading into the third set: I won the first set by being aggressive and going for my shots. After the second set, I went into the locker room and thought about how I had won my first set - by staying aggressive. I hit my big serves and came to the net. So, that was my game plan. I knew I had to go after my returns. I stepped out there and I had my game on. I ripped my shots and they went in, so I just kept doing it.
On her strategy to attack her opponent's serve in the second game of the third set: I was trying to get her off the court so I could come to the net and finish it off. That was pretty much it. And then my returns, I was just trying to play her forehand more and then get in.
On the difference between being up 5-3 in the second set and being up 5-3 in the third set: This time around [head coach] Patty [Fendick-McCain] told me to act like I was down. And when I play as if I'm losing, I play better. I knew she was right. So, at 4-2, I think she said, "Act like you're down!" so I acted like I was down and got up 5-2. At 5-3 it was still the same game plan, and I got two net plays in the last game that went my way.
On how it feels to get such a dramatic win: It feels great. We've worked so hard. I just couldn't be happier that we pulled it off today. I'm excited for tomorrow.
Texas head coach Patty Fendick-McCain
On what she told the players during the tight doubles matches: It wasn't a secret, we all knew we needed the doubles point, as we always feel when we play Baylor. There was another time, maybe a couple of years ago, where we got the doubles point and then got smoked in singles. So, obviously we knew the doubles point was critical. It was so up in the air up until the last point. You always want to have faith and believe they can get over the top. And to see the freshmen [Lina Padegimaite and Noel Scott] come back after two match points down and win - it was so good. They've worked so hard in the last couple of weeks to really get back on form, because they've struggled. I thought it was great to see them clinch the point. That couldn't have been better. It was awesome.
On strong play from her bottom-half of the lineup: We joke now that we brought in bagels for breakfast and we're going to be feeding [Elizabeth Begley] bagels from here on out if that's what she brings back. Lina (Padegimaite), Elizabeth (Begley), and Cierra (Gaytan-Leach) have been playing so great at four, five, and six (singles). I thought those three matches were going to be over with pretty quickly today because they've all been playing well. The conditions all of a sudden got really, really bad (gusty winds) right at a critical point for Cierra. She did well to battle through that.
On Gaytan-Leach's clutch win in the third set at No. 4 singles: She's gotten a lot of experience in those situations in the last year-and-a-half. She's come through on a number of them now. I think she felt pretty confident, even though it was getting a little bit hairy there for a bit. You could see the determination in her eyes when she came back out for the third set. I felt good about it. I just kind of sat back and enjoyed the third set because I felt really good about it.
No. 13 Texas 4, No. 12 Baylor 3
Doubles - Order of Finish: 3, 2, 1
1. #20 Nina Secerbegovic/Ema Burgic (BU) def. Krista Damico/Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) 8-6
2. #42 Lina Padegimaite/Noel Scott (UT) def. Sona Novakova/Diana Nakic (BU) 9-8(5)
3. Elizabeth Begley/Aeriel Ellis (UT) def. Nicole Kosakowski/Jordaan Sanford (BU) 8-4
Singles - Order of Finish: 5, 6, 1, 2, 3, 4
1. #24 Nina Secerbegovic (BU) def. #64 Krista Damico (UT) 6-4, 6-0
2. #17 Diana Nakic (BU) def. #26 Aeriel Ellis (UT) 6-4, 6-3
3. #45 Sona Novakova (BU) def. Noel Scott (UT) 6-2, 6-3
4. Cierra Gaytan-Leach (UT) def. Ema Burgic (BU) 6-2, 5-7, 6-3
5. Lina Padegimaite (UT) def. Jordaan Sanford (BU) 6-0, 6-3
6. Elizabeth Begley (UT) def. Megan Horter (BU) 6-0, 6-0
