No. 15 Kentucky Drops 4-3 Heartbreaker to No. 16 Auburn
LEXINGTON, Ky. – In a lengthy match lasting more than four hours, the No. 15 Kentucky women’s tennis team dropped a 4-3 heartbreaker to No. 16 Auburn inside the Boone Tennis Center on Sunday afternoon. The loss snapped the Wildcats’ six-match win streak.
Kentucky moves to 9-3, 1-1 in Southeastern Conference play, while Auburn rises to 12-5, 1-1 SEC.
The Tigers went ahead early, picking up what would be a crucial doubles point as the Wildcats picked up the first three singles victories. Seniors Emily Fanning and Mami Adachi combined to take down Auburn’s duo of Alizee Michaud/Taylor Russo, 6-2, but the Wildcats dropped the bottom two courts to give up the point.
Sophomore transfer Diana Tkachenko helped the Wildcats tie up the match, earning a 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 win in No. 4 singles. Junior Justina Mikulskyte gave Kentucky a 2-1 lead, downing No. 60 Jaeda Daniel in straight sets for her highest-ranked so far this season. Adachi helped build the lead, tacking on a 6-2, 4-6, 6-2 defeat of No. 121 Russo.
Auburn drew back within one as Fanning dropped a hard-fought battle on court two. The senior took Michaud three sets, but ultimately fell 3-6, 6-1, 3-6.
The match was tied for the second time at 3-3, as freshman Lesedi Jacobs fell 6-1, 7-5 in No. 5 singles. Auburn sealed the victory as freshman Brianna Tulloch was defeated in straight sets on court six.
Kentucky will be back in action on Friday, March 9, traveling to Fayetteville, Ark., to take on the No. 27 Razorbacks.
Agate
#15 Kentucky , #16 Auburn
Lexington, Ky. – Boone Tennis Center
March 4, 2018
Singles (Order of Finish: 4-1-3-2-5-6)
1 – #117 Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. #60 Jaeda Daniel (AUBURN) 6-3, 6-4
2 – Alizee Michaud (AUBURN) def. Emily Fanning (UK) 6-3, 1-6, 6-3
3 – Mami Adachi (UK) def. #121 Taylor Russo (AUBURN) 6-2, 4-6, 6-2
4 – Diana Tkachenko (UK) def. Madeline Meredith (AUBURN) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
5 – Andie Dikosavljevic (AUBURN) def. Lesedi Jacobs (UK) 6-1, 7-5
6 – Georgie Axon (AUBURN) def. Brianna Tulloch (UK) 6-2, 6-4
Doubles (Order of Finish: 1-2-3)
1 – #42 Mami Adachi/Emily Fanning (UK) def. #60 Alizee Michaud/Taylor Russo (AUBURN) 6-2
2 – Caroline Turner/Georgie Axon (AUBURN) def. Justina Mikulskyte/Diana Tkachenko (UK) 6-4
3 – Jaeda Daniel/Madeline Meredith (AUBURN) def. Lesedi Jacobs/Brianna Tulloch (UK) 7-5
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/UKWomensTennis and on the web at UKathletics.com.
