March 12, 2011
Hamza, Blakely give Tech a 4-3 win over Winthrop
Hokies top two players win decisive matches
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North Carolina9
(9) Virginia Tech 32

BLACKSBURG, Va. Virginia Tech’s top two players came through in the clutch Saturday afternoon in the Hokies, 4-3, win over No. 66 Winthrop at the Burrows-Burleson Tennis Center. The Hokies, ranked No. 60, improved to 8-6 on the year while Winthrop fell to 10-9. Tech trailed 3-2 in the match before Yasmin Hamza and Martha Blakely won their respective No. 1 and No. 2 contests in three sets to give the Hokies the win.

Winthrop took two of the three doubles matches, but Tech took four of six of the singles contests to earn the victory.

After losing the doubles point, Tech tied the match as Isel Martinez-Marcos (Fr., Esparreguera, Spain) took the No. 6 contest, 6-4, 6-3, over Sara Abutovic. Winthrop took a 3-1 lead as Shannon Betts (Jr., Newnan, Ga.) dropped the No. 4 match, 6-4, 7-6, against Andressa Garcia and Tea Ivanovic (Fr., Antwerpen, Belgium) lost to Giovanna Portioli, 6-4, 6-4, at No. 3. The Hokies closed the gap to 3-2 as Holly Johnson (Sr., Tallahassee, Fla.) won, 6-4, 6-1, at No. 5 versus Lisa Wilkinson.

Martha Blakely (Jr, Reading, Pa.), ranked No. 120 nationally, rallied to even the contest at 3-3 with a come-from-behind, 1-6, 6-3, 6-4, win over Sandra Herrera at No. 2 and Yasmin Hamza (Sr., Cairo, Egypt) clinched the win at No. 1 with a, 6-1, 2-6, 6-2, victory over Yasmine Aikema.

In doubles, Betts/Martinez-Marcos lost the No. 3 match, 8-6, to Abutovic/Julia Breuss, but Hamza/Johnson won, 8-3, at No. 1 against Aikema/Wilkinson. However, the Eagles took the point as Betts/Courtney Rauscher (So., Evans, Ga.) were defeated by Herrera /Portioli, 8-6, at No. 2.

The Hokies return to action on Sunday when they play host to East Tennessee State at 1 p.m.

#60 Virginia Tech 4, #66 Winthrop 4

Singles

1. Yasmin Hamza (VT) def. Yasmine Aikema (WU) 6-1, 2-6, 6-2

2. #120 Martha Blakely (VT) def. Sandra Herrera (WU) 1-6, 6-3, 6-4

3. Giovanna Portioli (WU) def. Tea Ivanovic (VT) 6-4, 6-4

4. Andressa Garcia (WU) def. Shannon Betts (VT) 6-4, 7-6

5. Holly Johnson (VT) def. Lisa Wilkinson (WU) 6-4, 6-1

6. Isel Martinez-Marcos (VT) def. Sara Abutovic (WU) 6-4, 6-3

Order of finish: 6, 4, 3, 5, 2, 1*

Doubles

1. Hamza/Johnson (VT) def. Aikema/Wilkinson (WU) 8-3

2. Herrera/Portioli (WU def. Blaklely/Courtney Rauscher (VT) 8-6

3. Abutovic/Julia Breuss (WU) def. Betts/Isel Martinez-Marcos (VT) 8-6

Order of finish: 3, 1, 2*

For updates on Virginia Tech women's tennis, follow the Hokies on Twitter (@VT_WTennis).

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