Live Blog: Stanford vs. Texas A&M NCAA Final

May 21, 2013, 2:58 p.m.

7:15 p.m.: Our women’s tennis beat writer is on the phone working to get a hold of as many players as possible. Get ready for a great story coming out later tonight and on the front page tomorrow.

7:05 p.m.: The two captains, Gibbs and Ahn, came through in the clutch. Gibbs had a dramatic comeback and Ahn finished off the Aggies. What a performance.

7:02 p.m.: Ahn’s done it! Stanford wins the NCAA Title, extending the streak of years with an NCAA Championship to 377-5, 4-6, 6-2. Stanford defeats No. 3 Texas A&M 4-3.

6:55 p.m.: Dillon falls on Court No. 6. The team score is tied at 3-3 with Ahn serving at deuce leading 5-2 in the third set.

6:50 p.m.: Ahn will serve for the NCAA Title leading 5-2 in the third set on Court No. 2 after another break.

6:44 p.m.: Hardebeck drops the tiebreaker and falls 6-3, 7-6 (3), but Ahn picks up a huge break at love with a big backhand down the line. She now is up a break in the third set. This NCAA Final is going to come down to her. Team score: 3-2 Stanford but Dillon is about to fall.

6:35 p.m.: Hardebeck fights off two match points to force a second-set tiebreaker while Ahn breaks Stancu back to get back on serve in her third set. The heart palpitations have officially begun.

6:27 p.m.: Tsay gets broken to lose her match 6-1, 7-5. Texas A&M gets is much-needed first singles point. Stanford leads 3-1 now.

6:21 p.m.: Gibbs finishes off the comeback in dramatic fashion. Trailing 0-6, 0-2, Gibbs fought all the way back to earn an 0-6, 6-2, 6-0 victory. Stanford now leads 3-0. Ahn is broken to lose the second set though.

6:18 p.m.: Tan wins 7-5, 6-3 to give Stanford a 2-0 lead in the match. Tan’s win on Court No. 4 is the first singles match to finish.

6:13 p.m.: Gibbs breaks again to go up 4-0 in the third. She went from zero to hero in a remarkable turnaround. She’s now won 10 straight games after losing the first eight. Dillon wins the second set 6-3 to force a decisive third set as Tsay serves to try to do the same.

6:09 p.m.: Ahn can’t convert on three break points. She’s still on serve in the second set. Gibbs holds to go up 3-0. These close sets could prove vital.

6:02 p.m.: Gibbs breaks Sanchez to take a 2-0 lead in the third set. What a remarkable turnaround. Ahn and Tan are on serve and up a set. Hardebeck is close to evening up her match at a set a piece.

5:55 p.m.: Gibbs breaks to win the second set and start the third set on her serve. Dillon is in rough shape on Court No. 6, so expect A&M to tie the match score at 1-1 soon. Ahn is on serve in the second set up a set. Hardebeck is up a break in the second, but down a set. Tan is up a set and a break. Tsay is on serve in the second, down a set.

5:40 p.m.: Gibbs is fighting back on Court No. 1. She’s up 3-2 on serve after winning three straight games. Ahn and Tan each won their first sets 7-5 and Tsay is up a break in the second set after losing the first set 6-1.

5:35 p.m.: Ahn takes the first set 7-5, Hardebeck loses the first set 6-3 and Tan is up 6-5 looking to break for the set.

5:29 p.m.: Dillon broken to start the second set. Stanford now down a set and a break in two matches. The Cardinal’s most likely path to victory looks to be Ahn on Court No. 2 (on serve), Hardebeck on Court No. 3 (on serve) and Tan on Court No. 4 (down a break).

5:20 p.m.: The momentum is all on A&M’s side right now. Fatigue looks to be setting in early for the worn-out Cardinal. Stanford is down a break in four matches. Unless something changes, A&M will take the title.

5:15 p.m.: Sanchez wins the first set 6-0 and then breaks Gibbs to start the second set. Looks like spots two through six will have to come through. Hardebeck up a break, Ahn and Tan are on serve, Tsay and Dillon each down a break. It’s going to be a tight one tonight.

5:04 p.m.: Sanchez is impressing on Court No. 1, leading Gibbs 4-0 in dominant fashion. Ahn and Tan are up a break, Hardebeck and Tsay are on serve, and Dillon is down two breaks.

4:57 p.m.: Gibbs down 2-0 after being broken to start the match. That’s already more games than she lost in her dominant win last night over Florida’s No. 1 Lauren Embree.

4:48 p.m.: Singles lineups (Stanford player listed first): No. 13 Gibbs vs. No. 4 Christina Sanchez-Quintanar on Court No. 1, No. 25 Ahn vs. No. 68 Cristina Stancu on Court No. 2, No. 14 Hardebeck vs. No. 52 Nazari Urbina on Court No. 3, No. 103 Tan vs. Ines Deheza on Court No. 4, No. 92 Tsay vs. Anna Mamalat on Court No. 5, Dillon vs. Stefania Hristov on Court No. 6.

4:33 p.m.: She does it again. In a marathon game, Hardebeck holds serve as the No. 3 duo of Hardebeck and Dillon takes the match and the doubles point. Stay tuned for the start of singles play after a short break. Stanford will need to win three of the six matches for the NCAA Title.

4:25 p.m.: Hardebeck and Dillon break A&M to take a 7-5 lead on Court No. 3. Hardebeck will serve for the doubles point. What hasn’t she done this tournament?

4:12 p.m.: Stanford and Texas A&M trade breaks on Court No. 3. Dillon and Hardebeck lead 5-4 with the Aggies coming up to serve. Will Hardebeck come up big under pressure again?

4:06 p.m.: At almost the same moment, Stanford wins on Court No. 2 and loses on Court No. 1. The doubles point will hinge on Court No. 3, where Stanford leads 4-3 with Texas A&M serving.

4:03 p.m.: Stanford breaks again on Court No. 2 to take a commanding 7-4 lead. The Card will serve for the match after changing sides. Gibbs and Ahn down 7-3 on Court No. 1 though. It looks like it will (again) come down to Court No. 3, where Hardebeck’s miraculous singles comeback occurred last night.

3:54 p.m.: Gibbs and Ahn struggling on Court No. 1. The juniors are down 5-2. Stanford is up 5-3 on Court No. 2 and leading 3-2, but on serve, on Court No. 3.

3:41 p.m.: Texas A&M’s No. 1 doubles team breaks Gibbs and Ahn to take a 3-1 lead on Court No. 1. Other two matches are on serve after A&M picks up another break on Court No. 3.

3:28 p.m.: Stanford’s No. 2 doubles duo of Ellen Tsay and Stacey Tan takes a 2-1 lead in the first set. Natalie Dillon and Krista Hardebeck also up 2-0 in the first set, while Nicole Gibbs and Kristie Ahn trail their Aggies counterparts 1-2 in the first set.

2:58 p.m.: Welcome to The Stanford Daily’s live blog of the 2013 women’s tennis NCAA Final between No. 12 Stanford (21-4, 8-2 Pac-12) and No. 3 Texas A&M (26-3, 12-1 SEC). No. 2 Virginia just topped No. 1 UCLA 4-3 to win the men’s tennis NCAA Title. Stanford and Texas A&M are scheduled to begin their match at 3 p.m.

Stanford upset No. 1 Florida last night to advance to today’s match. The Cardinal is seeking its 17th women’s tennis NCAA Championship. The Aggies had never advanced past the Round of 16 until this season.

Sam Fisher is the managing editor of sports for The Stanford Daily's Vol. 244. Sam also does play-by-play for KZSU's coverage of Stanford football, Stanford baseball and Stanford women's basketball. In 2013, Sam co-authored "Rags to Roses: The Rise of Stanford Football," with Joseph Beyda and George Chen.

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