July 8, 2002

Ann Arbor, Mich. – University of Kentucky women’s tennis seniors Amy Trefethen and Jill Buckley wrapped up a successful weekend at the University of Michigan Intercollegiate Tennis Association tournament on Monday, July 8 in Ann Arbor, Mich. The pair both reached the semifinals of the singles draw before pairing up as a doubles team to secure runner-up honors at the ITA Summer Circuit event.

Buckley, who hails from Oak Ridge, Tenn., advanced to the semifinal round of the 64-player tournament with straight-set victories over 5-8 seed Megan Racette of Texas and fourth-seeded Kavitha Tipirneni of Michigan. Buckley fell short in her semifinal matchup with Maryland’s Emily Marker to end her run.

Fellow Wildcat Trefethen, a native of Sarasota, Fla., went one step further to advance to the final match. Trefethen picked up wins over Purdue’s top player, Gretchen Hayner, third-seeded Lisa D’Amelio of Eastern Michigan and nationally ranked Sadhaf Pervez of Ohio State throughout the weekend. However, Marker, too, eliminated Trefethen, in a tough 6-3, 7-6 final match. Both Buckley and Trefethen picked up quality wins that will aid them in their quest for an ITA preseason ranking heading into their senior campaigns.

The 32-team doubles draw also saw the Wildcat tandem fare well. The duo tallied three impressive wins on their way to a runner-up finish. Marker and Tipirneni took the doubles title with an 8-4 victory over the pair from the Bluegrass.

“I am excited about the high level of play from both Jill and Amy,” Coach Mark Guilbeau said. “It is also great to see that Jill and Amy are pleased with their play as well. This is a great start to their competitive summer schedule. They are putting forth a tremendous effort and it is apparent in their results.”