ATHENS, Ga. ? Kentucky junior Aibika Kalsarieva advanced to Tuesday?s round of 32 with a sterling performance in the opening round of the 2004 NCAA Women?s Singles Championships at Georgia?s Dan Magill Tennis Complex. Kalsarieva, the ITA?s 16th-ranked student-athlete, eliminated Washington?s 33rd-ranked Claire Carter by a 6-3, 6-1 count. Kalsarieva will meet Georgia?s 32nd-ranked freshman, Shadisha Robinson, in the round of 32 Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.
Washington?s Carter held serve in the first game against Kalsarieva, but Kalsarieva held serve in the following game and broke Carter?s serve in the third game. Some key moments for Kalsarieva came during the fourth game. The newly-minted All-American saved two break points and emerged with a 3-1 lead after serving out an 11-minute battle. Carter and Kalsarieva split the next four games before Kalsarieva neutralized Carter?s serve in the ninth game for a 6-3 first-set victory.
Kalsarieva seized immediate control and barely let up in the second set. Kalsarieva claimed the first five games before Carter served her lone victory in the sixth game. Kalsarieva quickly dispatched Carter in the seventh game on her way to a 6-3, 6-1 victory
?Aibika played a great match today,? UK Coach Mark Guilbeau said. ?Claire Carter is a very tough first-round opponent. The difference for Aibika today was she was able to hit her two-hand backhand.?
?I just did what Mark told me to do,? Kalsarieva said. ?He instructed me come to the net when Carter was playing short. He told me to play consistently, and that?s what I was going for today.?
Kentucky?s Sarah Foster and Clemson?s sixth-ranked Julie Coin each held serve in the opening set of their first-round match until Coin broke Foster?s served in the ninth game. Serving 5-4, Coin wasted little time in closing out the set, 6-4. Coin utilized a powerful serve to her advantage in the second set and claimed all six games in the final set to eliminate Foster, who caps a tremendous season as the SEC and ITA Southeast Region Freshman of the Year. She wraps up her 2003-04 campaign with a 30-14 singles tally as the ITA?s 48th-ranked student-athlete.
?Despite the result, Sarah played a good match today,? Guilbeau said. ?She did a couple of things very well today. She started the match at her highest level of play. She also was very composed and showed a great amount of character. This is the beginning of a four-year process for Sarah and I will look forward to her return to the NCAA Singles Championships next season.?
Tuesday marks the beginning of the 32-team NCAA doubles championships. Foster and Kalsarieva comprise the ITA?s 14th-ranked doubles team and will face Michigan?s 41st-ranked Michelle DaCosta and Kara Delicata in the opening round at 1:30 p.m. Live scoring for each NCAA singles and doubles match is available at www.georgiadogs.com.
AGATE:
NCAA Singles ? First Round No. 16 Aibika Kalsarieva (UK) def. No. 33 Claire Carter (UW) ? 6-3, 6-1 No. 6 Julie Coin (CU) def. No. 48 Sarah Foster (UK) ? 6-4, 6-0
