New Doubles Lineup Lifts Kentucky Women’s Tennis Past Indiana
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team wouldn’t let Indiana respond to its early momentum on Friday evening, recording a flawless 4-0 final score against the Hoosiers in Bloomington, Indiana. Kentucky improves to a 6-2 record in the regular season, including a 2-2 mark on the road.
Featuring a new doubles lineup, Kentucky discovered its winning ways in the doubles competition again after collecting its sixth doubles point of the season. The Wildcats are 6-0 when they clinch the doubles point and gain the initial lead.
Winning the first of two matches needed to claim the doubles point, Lesedi Jacobs and Anastasia Tkachenko defeated Xiaowei “Rose” Hu and Michelle McKamey on the third doubles court, 6-2. It’s the first time the doubles team has been paired together this season, but the second time in 2019-20. The tandem moves to a 2-0 record as duo.
On the second court, Indiana’s Caitlin Bernard and Alexandra Stairculesc caved to regulars Diana Tkachenko and Carlota Molina, 6-4. The UK pair boasts a 4-2 mark this season.
Once Kentucky collected the doubles point, there was no stopping the six-person singles lineup as the Hoosiers soon found out.
Taking ahold of the first singles point, senior D. Tkachenko defeated McKamey on the fifth court. The Russian native filed a pair of 6-2 sets over McKamey, recording her best singles match of the season, giving up just four games to her opponent total.
Securing the second singles point was none other than her twin sister, senior A. Tkachenko. In usual twin fashion, she also reported a 6-2, 6-2 triumph over her opponent, defeating Hu on the sixth court. A. Tkachenko has put together a remarkable season, forming an 8-0 record competing on the fifth and sixth courts. The upperclassman holds a nine-match win streak in the singles competition, boasting a 15-2 record overall (fall and spring sessions).
Remarkably, A. Tkachenko isn’t the only Wildcat boasting a nine-match win streak. Freshman Molina carries the same distinction after collecting the third and final singles point of the dual match. Clinching the contest, Molina carded a 7-6, 6-1 win over Staiculesc on the third court.
Molina is off to an impressive start to her career, crafting a 7-0 record this season on courts Nos. 3 and 4, and a 12-1 mark overall. It’s the best overall singles record among the nine-person squad.
Next on the Schedule
The Kentucky women’s tennis team will compete against Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, on Sunday, Feb. 2 at 11 a.m. ET.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
