ATHENS, Ga. – Kentucky couldn?t have picked a better time to pick up its first victory at Georgia since 1988. As a result of the fifth-ranked Cats? thrilling 4-3 victory over the fourth-ranked Dogs Friday at UGA?s Hopkins Indoor Tennis Center and Vanderbilt?s 5-2 loss at Tennessee, Kentucky earns a share of the Southeastern Conference regular-season title, the first in the program?s history. Kentucky will win the title outright on Sunday should the Cats defeat No. 25 Tennessee in Knoxville. Kentucky (20-3, 9-0) collects its 14th-consecutive victory and extends the longest win streak in the history of the program.
Kentucky opened the match by dropping the doubles point for only the second time in conference play. Georgia?s third-ranked tandem of Shadisha Robinson and Caroline Basu defeated UK?s seventh-ranked duo of Aibika Kalsarieva and Sarah Foster, 8-6, and UGA?s Jitka Schonfeldova and Natalie Frazier followed suit with an 8-3 win at No. 3 doubles over UK?s Emily Foster and Lara Maurer to clinch the doubles point.
UK?s Kalsarieva commenced the Kentucky rally with an impressive 6-4, 6-1 win over UGA?s seventh-ranked Robinson to remain the only undefeated player in SEC play. Kalsarieva now is unbeaten in her last 16 singles contests and has emerged as the favorite to win the SEC Player of the Year award. Georgia?s Frazier put the Dogs (13-4, 7-2) back on top with a straight-set win over UK?s Coventry at second singles.
At the third singles position, UK?s Sarah Foster knotted the tally at two and improved to 7-2 in SEC play with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Georgia?s Hyndman. Kentucky?s Joelle Schwenk put the Cats on top for good with a 6-3, 6-4 win over UGA?s Evgenia Subbotina to improve to 4-4 in conference play.
Trailing 3-1 in her first set against UGA?s Schonfeldova, UK junior Danielle Petrisko rebounded to capture the first set, 6-4. In the second set, Petrisko led 5-4 but lost two match points, as Schonfeldova evened the set at five. However, Petrisko never flinched, taking the final two games to clinch Kentucky?s historic victory.
At the No. 6 slot, UK?s Maurer trailed Georgia?s Basu by a 3-1 count in the opening set but managed to force a tiebreaker, which Basu captured. Basu went on to claim the second set to provide the final point for the Bulldogs.
?I?m so impressed by the decisions this team makes, especially in big matches,? UK Coach Mark Guilbeau said. ?When the pressure is on, they simply decide to stay with it and play high-percentage shots. To be willing to play one more high-percentage ball is very difficult to do, from a discipline standpoint, and they?re doing it relentlessly.
?The coaching staff is so proud of every player on this team because of their will to really get after it and go for it. We?re so proud of them for that. On top of the great tennis on the court, the spirit, desire and total team support from every player created a great environment for us on an away court. Our kids off court had such an impact on the match. It was nice?it was really nice.?
Guilbeau was quick to point out the quality of play turned in by Petrisko, who was forced to sit out the 2004 dual-match season due to a knee injury.
?I can?t say enough about Danielle. She came in as a walk-on and believed and worked and did everything. The bottom line is she has become a very good tennis player. The wins she is earning in conference play are real. She?s ready to keep on.?
Guilbeau, an assistant coach on Georgia?s 1994 NCAA champion squad, picks up his second career victory over Georgia and his first in Athens. Though Kentucky has the opportunity to win its first SEC title on Sunday at Tennessee, something else remains Guilbeau?s top priority.
?The only thing we?re worried about, and that I know these kids are worried about, is one thing, and that?s playing our very best tennis on Sunday. That?s all we?re interested in right now.?
The Cats take on the Lady Vols Sunday at the Goodfriend Tennis Center. The match is set for noon EDT in Knoxville. Live scoring will be available at ukathletics.com, via ladyvols.com.
No. 5 Kentucky 4, No. 4 Georgia 3
Doubles
1. No. 3 Robinson/Basu (UGA) def. No. 7 Kalsarieva/S. Foster (UK) – 8-6
2. Hyndman/Subbotina (UGA) def. No. 14 Coventry/Schwenk (UK) – 8-6
3. Schonfeldova/Frazier (UGA) def. E. Foster/Maurer (UK) – 8-3
Singles
1. No. 5 Aibika Kalsarieva (UK) def. No. 7 Shadisha Robinson (UGA) – 6-4, 6-1
2. No. 26 Natalie Frazier (UGA) def. No. 33 Kim Coventry (UK) – 6-2, 6-3
3. No. 50 Sarah Foster (UK) def. Kelley Hyndman (UGA) – 7-5, 6-1
4. Joelle Schwenk (UK) def. Evgenia Subbotina (UGA) – 6-3, 6-4
5. Caroline Basu (UGA) def. Lara Maurer (UK) – 7-6, 6-1
6. Danielle Petrisko (UK) def. Jitka Schonfeldova (UGA) – 6-4, 7-5
