As the NCAA women’s tennis team tournament comes to a close, No. 2 seed Auburn has one more step to take to make yet another piece of program history this season. But No. 4 seed Texas A&M has been unrelenting and keeps coming out on top in close matches against high-quality teams.
NCAA Women’s Tennis Final Preview: Auburn vs Texas A&M
Auburn is seeded second but is ranked No. 1 in the ITA rankings, and they’ve played like it. They dismantled No. 3 seed Ohio State, 4-1, and haven’t been in any real, serious doubt throughout this tournament.
On the other hand, Texas A&M had to claw their way through the final site, with 4-3 wins over No. 5 seed North Carolina and host team No. 1 seed Georgia. They are battle tested, but perhaps their toughest test yet awaits in the form of Auburn. Each spot is crucial for both teams.
Doubles
Texas A&M, simply, hasn’t been a doubles team this season, and Auburn has. Auburn has two top 10 doubles teams and consistently has doubles as a point on the board, while Texas A&M dropping the doubles point has become the norm.
The best chance Texas A&M has to take the doubles point is if Auburn comes out nervous, but Auburn has been steady in all its program milestones up until this point and has the tools to defeat Texas A&M’s doubles teams.
No. 1 Singles
Lucciana Perez, Texas A&M’s top player and the No. 1 singles player in the country, is undefeated this season. She extended her win streak to 28-0 with the clinching win over Georgia’s Anastasiia Lopata in the semifinals, a win that came after Perez’ defeat of NCAA Champion Reese Brantmeier.
Auburn’s D.J. Bennett has been a great player throughout her college career, but she’s coming off a 6-1 6-0 loss to Ohio State’s Teah Chavez and hasn’t won many matches lately. Going up against a red-hot Perez, Bennett can’t afford to repeat that performance but very well may not have a choice. Perez hasn’t lost yet, and it’s hard to see her losing now. This spot is a huge advantage for Texas A&M.
No. 2 Singles
Texas A&M’s Mia Kupres suffered a lopsided loss against North Carolina, but bounced back to claim a crucial straight-set win against Georgia the very next day. Aside from the North Carolina loss, Kupres has looked solid all tournament and, like her team overall, is playing her best tennis.
She’ll pose a tough test for Auburn’s Ekaterina Khayrutdinova, but Khayrutdinova proved herself against Ohio State by holding off standout player Luciana Perry, going unfinished as she looked poised to send the match to a third set.
In the last match between Kupres and Khayrutdinova, they split the first two sets before the match was abandoned, and it’ll likely be just as close here. If the match does come down to a 4-2 or 4-3 decision, this could be a pivotal win.
No. 3 Singles
Auburn senior Angella Okutoyi has been full of comeback wins but didn’t need one in the semifinal as she dominated in her straight-set win. Okutoyi hasn’t lost a match since February and is a consistent point on the board and leader for this Auburn team.
Her opponent, Texas A&M’s Ilinca Amariei, is coming off a tough loss against Georgia. She lost the first set in a tiebreak, then lost the second set 6-1, losing steam entirely. She has gotten crucial wins on the board for Texas A&M earlier in the tournament, but against a player as resilient as Okutoyi, she can’t afford to lose control of the match.
No. 4 Singles
In the quarterfinal against LSU, Auburn’s Merna Refaat was benched due to matchup strategy. In the semifinal against Ohio State, she clinched the match against one of Ohio State’s most consistent players. All season long, Refaat has slotted into the lineup wherever she is needed and, most of the time, has delivered.
Texas A&M’s Lexington Reed notched quality wins in the Super Regional against USC and the quarterfinal against North Carolina, and against Georgia she lost to Emma Dong, one of the most consistent players of the season.
Both Reed and Refaat have proven they can come through for their respective teams, but the last time these two played it was a straight-set win for Refaat.
No. 5 Singles
Violeta Martinez clinched Texas A&M’s win over North Carolina in a long, hard-fought three-set match. The very next day, she came back from a 6-1 first set loss for yet another three-set win. Martinez has shown that she shouldn’t be counted out of any match and that she can deliver in high-pressure moments.
Auburn’s Ashton Bowers has lost just two matches this spring season, but most of her wins have come in straight sets and she hasn’t had the chance to finish out many of her three-set matches. Martinez’s ability to push matches to three sets and finish them will give her an advantage, as Bowers isn’t as experienced in those tight moments.
No. 6 Singles
Both Auburn’s Ava Esposito and Texas A&M’s Daria Smetannikov pulled through with a win in the semifinals—Esposito in dominant straight sets and Smetannikov in a turbulent three-setter. The last time they played, Smetannikov won in straight sets, but Esposito has looked strong all tournament long while Smetannikov has been more shaky.
Both players are seniors and will be playing the final match of their college careers, heightening the stakes. This spot is one that is very much up for grabs, and could certainly be an important difference-maker.
Main Photo Credit: Clayton Freeman/Florida Times-Union]
