MOBILE, Alabama — Xavier University of Louisiana, one of the hottest teams in women's college tennis during the past 12 weeks, lost 5-1 Friday to two-time defending champion Georgia Gwinnett in the semifinals of the NATA National Championships.It was the Gold Nuggets' first defeat after a school-record 16-dual-match win streak. They had not lost since Feb. 21.
XULA (19-8), ranked and seeded third, scored its only point when Charlene Goreau and Angela Charles-Alfred defeated Henar Munoz and Margarida Abreu 9-8 (7-3) on the second doubles court. The victory was Goreau and Charles-Alfred's seventh in a row and third of the tournament.
Farah Baklouti and Manon Bonada were tied at 6 on the third doubles court before falling 8-6 to Maria Prados Cid and Gabrielle Robinson. On court one Mariia Borodii and Yi Chen Pao suffered their largest loss of the season, 8-2, to Emerald Able and Madeline Bosnjak.
Second-seeded Georgia Gwinnett (17-2) made it 3-1 when Abreu defeated Goreau 6-2, 6-0 on the second court — that ended Goreau's 16-match singles win streak — then closed it out when Chiara Rebecchi beat Pao 6-3, 6-0 and No. 6 and Prados Cid beat Bonada 6-1, 6-1 in the clincher on No. 4.
In the three unfinished singles matches, XULA's only leader was Baklouti — 6-4, 2-1 on the fifth court against Gabrielle Robinson. Borodii, the ITA's second-ranked NAIA singles player, trailed 6-4, 2-1 against fourth-ranked Emerald Able, an opponent Borodii defeated 6-2, 6-2 at Georgia Gwinnett on Feb. 16. All three of Borodii's singles matches at nationals were unfinished, and the freshman trailed in all three. She entered the tournament 15-0 in singles.
Georgia Gwinnett, in the championship round for the fifth consecutive yearm will play top-seeded Keiser for the title at 9 a.m. Saturday. Keiser (23-2) won 5-4 at Georgia Gwinnett on March 24.
Ed Cassiere, Assistant Athletic Director for Communications
XULAgold.com
XAVIER UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA
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