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Polina Kozyreva and Miyuka Kimoto looked competitive out of the gate in their first round doubles matchup in the NCAA Tournament, but ultimately fell 6-2 , 6-1 against Texas A&M’s Jayci Goldsmith and Tatiana Makarova. Kozyreva and Kimoto split the first four games 2-2 against the No. 6 doubles tandem in the nation according to the International Tennis Association.

The first four games were all won by the serving team, which persisted throughout the match. However, the Aggies made an offensive adjustment in the fifth game that the Orange just couldn’t combat. After four server-dominated sets, Goldsmith and Makarova began to control the match using their powerful strokes and seamless communication.

From the start, Goldsmith’s serve kept the Orange on the defense. The top-10 pair took advantage of that weakness and attacked SU early to nip rallies in the bud, playing to contract rather than hitting to the free zone. As a result, SU was continuously overpowered on defense with Kozyreva and Kimoto struggling to reach and return hard-hit balls from Texas A&M.

SU dropped the fifth game to trail 3-2, causing the Aggies’ momentum to snowball on Syracuse. The Orange won just one of the next ten games as Goldsmith and Makarova advanced to the round of 16 with ease.

Going into the tournament, Kozyreva and Kimoto were ranked No. 18 in the nation by the ITA and posted a 9-7 record this spring, including a 5-2 run in the No. 1 doubles spot.

This loss puts an end to Syracuse’s season since Kimoto and Kozyreva are the only Orange represented at the NCAA Tournament.

Published on May 24, 2022 at 9:59 pm

Contact Wyatt: wbmiller@syr.edu