No. 16 Kentucky gave fourth-ranked Georgia quite a battle Friday before succumbing to defeat, falling to the Bulldogs by a 6-1 count at UK?s Boone Tennis Complex.

UK freshman Sarah Foster, a Lexington Christian Academy product, scored the biggest victory of her young career to register the lone Kentucky point. Foster, who made her debut in the ITA women?s singles rankings this week at No. 96, defeated 12th-ranked freshman Shadisha Robinson by a 7-5, 6-2 count.

Court one featured quite a battle between two of the top competitors in collegiate tennis. Georgia?s fifth-ranked Agata Cioroch and Kentucky?s 23rd-ranked Aibika Kalsarieva remained on serve throughout their first set and continued into a tiebreaker, where Cioroch prevailed. Kalsarieva regrouped and overpowered the All-American Cioroch in the second set with a 6-3 showing, forcing the match to a decisive third set. Kalsarieva closed within 4-3 before Cioroch pulled away for the victory.

Freshman Joelle Schwenk rebounded from a difficult first set and won the second set in a tiebreaker, before falling in the final set.

The Cats fall to 15-8 and 6-3 in the conference, while Georgia improves to 16-2 and 8-1 in the SEC. Kentucky returns to action Sunday, Apr. 4 against No. 28 Tennessee. The match is set for 12 p.m. EDT at UK?s Boone Tennis Complex.

No. 4 Georgia 6, No. 16 Kentucky 1

 Doubles 1. Cioroch/Robinson (UGA) def. Foster/Kalsarieva (UK) ? 8-4 2. Schonfeldova/Subbotina (UGA) def. Maurer/Schwenk (UK) ? 8-3 3. Frazier/Wink (UGA) def. Coventry/Simpson (UK) ? 9-7 

Singles 1. No. 5 Agata Cioroch (UGA) def. No. 23 Aibika Kalsarieva (UK) ? 7-6 (3), 3-6, 6-3 2. No. 54 Evgenia Subbotina (UGA) def. Lara Maurer (UK) ? 6-1, 6-3 3. No. 96 Sarah Foster (UK) def. No. 12 Shadisha Robinson (UGA) ? 7-5, 6-2 4. Jitka Schonfeldova (UGA) def. Joelle Schwenk (UK) ? 6-1, 6-7, 6-2 5. Douglas Wink (UGA) def. Kim Coventry (UK) ? 6-1, 6-3 6. Alexandra Smith (UGA) def. Christine Simpson (UK) ? 6-1, 6-2