Sooners Drop Close Battle with No. 21 Gators

Oklahoma

²¹ Florida

NORMAN – The Oklahoma women's tennis team took No. 21 Florida to the brink Saturday afternoon but narrowly fell, 4-3, in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend at the J.W. Isenhour Center in Raleigh, N.C..

With the loss, the Sooners move to 0-1 on the year while Florida improves to 1-0.

The Sooners took the early lead and the doubles point with wins on courts one and three. Ivana and Carmen Corley teamed up to take down Florida's Victoria Emma and McCartney Kessler, 6-2, at the premier spot.

On court three, Martina Capurro and Camila Romero topped Marlee Zein and Sydney Berlin, 6-2 to clinch the doubles point for the Sooners.

Florida would tie the match as Romero fell to Tsveta Dimitrova, 6-1, 6-1. The Gators would take a 2-1 lead as Marcelina Podlinska dropped her match, 6-0, 6-3.

Moments later, Jasmine Asghar would tie things up at two-all as she took down Sydney Berlin, 6-4, 6-2. Florida would earn the advantage once again as Capurro fell, 6-2, 6-3, to McCartney Kessler in the No. 1 spot.

Carmen Corley came up clutch in the No. 2 spot as she sealed a straight-set victory over Victoria Emma, 6-2, 6-2, to bring the match back even at 3-3.

Florida clinched the match when Marlee Zein defeated OU's Oleksandra Korashvili, 3-6, 7-6, 6-2. Zein jumped out to a 3-0 lead before Korashvili cut the deficit to 4-2. Zein would win the final two games to give the Gators the match.

The Sooners will the face either host No. 8 NC State or Rice tomorrow at 9 a.m. CT.

Singles:

1. #37 McCartney Kessler (UF) def. #87 Martina Capurro (OU) 6-2, 6-3
2. Carmen Corley (OU) def. #96 Victoria Emma (UF) 6-2, 6-3
3. Ida Jarlskog (UF) def. Marcelina Podlinska (OU) 6-0, 6-3
4. Marlee Zein (UF) def. OleksandraKorashvili (OU) 3-6, 7-6, 6-2
5. Tsveta Dimitrova (UF) def. Camila Romero (OU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Jasmine Asghar (OU) def. Sydney Berlin (UF) 6-4, 6-2

Doubles:

1. Ivana Corley/Carmen Corley (OU) def. Victoria Emma/McCartney Kessler (UF) 6-2
2. #27 Jasmine Asghar/OleksandraKorashvili (OU) vs. Ida Jarlskog/Tsveta Dimitrova (UF) 4-3, unfinished
3. Martina Capurro/Camila Romero (OU) def. Marlee Zein/Sydney Berlin (UF) 6-2