MONTGOMERY – No. 43 Alabama split its doubleheader to finish out the 71st Blue Gray National Tennis Classic on Saturday at Lagoon Park in Montgomery, Ala. The Crimson Tide (10-3) first bested Yale (4-4) before falling to No. 37 Auburn in a tightly-contested 4-3 match.
The Tide began the day down 1-0 to Yale after doubles play on Friday, but quickly tied the score at 1-1 when junior Ann Selim bested Raissa Lou, 7-5, 6-3. Alabama tied the match up once again at 2-2 after sophomore Moka Ito eased past Caroline Dunleavy 7-6(6), 6-3.
Alabama took the lead after junior Luca Fabian won on court three and then junior Alba Cortina Pou clinched the match with her three-set victory over Jessie Gong, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4.
In the second match of the day, the Tide played against SEC-rival Auburn and trailed 1-0 after surrendering the doubles point.
Alabama tied the match up at 1-1 when Cortina Pou earned her second win of the day after dominating Sophia Graver, 6-1, 6-2. Auburn quickly took back the lead and extended the advantage to 3-1 after picking up victories on courts two and four.
UA battled back after senior No. 62 Andie Daniell defeated her first nationally-ranked opponent of the dual match season in No. 75 Jaeda Daniel, 6-4, 7-6(3), while junior Kimberley Gintrand won 6-3, 7-5, on court six to tie the match at 3-3.
The match came down to court five with junior Luca Fabian trailing 5-2 in the third set. Fabian battled back to make it 5-4, before Alannah Griffin clinched the match by winning the next game.
Next up, Alabama will dive into SEC play when it travels to Baton Rouge, La., to take on No. 16 LSU on Friday, March 1 at 4 p.m. CT.
