Adachi and Sutjiadi Emerge as No. 1 Doubles Pairing in First Oracle/ITA Rankings
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PRINCETON, N.J. – With the release of the first Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) rankings of the 2016 championship season, Kentucky women’s tennis has received increasing prominence on the national scene.
Highlighting the team, singles and doubles rankings is UK’s top pairing of Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi, who have been selected as the No. 1 doubles pair in the nation. Adachi and Sutjiadi have made strides since pairing up late in the 2015 spring season, ending the year as the No. 26 team before earning the distinction of being the No. 9 team in the ITA preseason rankings.
Adachi and Sutjiadi played in two national championship title games in the fall season, taking runner-up at the Oracle/ITA Masters and the USTA/ITA National Indoor Championships. The two title games were the only losses for the Wildcats, who compiled a 12-2 record during the fall.
The two were also recognized in the singles rankings, with Sutjiadi holding down the No. 97 spot while Adachi has the No. 100 ranking. Sutjiadi had a nearly flawless fall season after posting a 5-1 record, with her only loss coming to Tennessee’s No. 60 Mercedes Hammond in the Round of 16 at the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regionals. Adachi had a similarly successful fall campaign with a 6-1 record and a win over one ranked opponent, falling in the quarterfinals of the USTA/ITA Ohio Valley Regionals to No. 15 Frances Altick of Vanderbilt.
As a team, Kentucky moved up one spot from 2015’s final rankings to hold down the No. 24 spot in the nation. The Southeastern Conference is well represented in the top-25, with eight different institutions ranking in the upper portion of national team standings.
“Our players are grateful to see the results of their past efforts
materialize in terms of rankings. We look forward to a new season filled
with great challenges and opportunities,” said head coach Carlos Dradá. “The most challenging part of the season is about to begin, and we are eager to meet that challenge.”
materialize in terms of rankings. We look forward to a new season filled
with great challenges and opportunities,” said head coach Carlos Dradá. “The most challenging part of the season is about to begin, and we are eager to meet that challenge.”
Within the Ohio Valley Region, Adachi and Sutjiadi are naturally the top pick in doubles rankings, while the freshman duo of Akvile Paražinskaite and Justina Mikulskyte have been tabbed as the No. 8 pairing in the region. In singles action, Kentucky has the most athletes in the top-20, edging out No. 1 Vanderbilt for regional representation. Sutjiadi is the No. 5 singles player in the region, followed by Adachi at No. 6, Nadia Ravita at No. 7, Paražinskaite at No. 8, Mikulskyte at No. 9 and Morgan Chumney at No. 18.
The championship season begins on Jan. 23 when UK takes on Dartmouth in Ann Arbor, Mich., for the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The Wildcats will remain on the road for a month before hosting Michigan State and Eastern Kentucky on Feb. 21 at the Boone Center.
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the Kentucky women’s tennis team and all 22 varsity sports. For additional info, notes, and behind-the-scenes updates, follow the team on Twitter at @UKWomensTennis and on Facebook.
