Feb. 1, 2009
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The Wildcat women’s tennis team (5-0 overall, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) took wins on Sunday against Winthrop (1-1, 0-0) and Miami University (2-4, 0-0) in the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex. Kentucky defeated the Eagles 7-0 in the morning, and the Redhawks 6-1 during the afternoon. UK had defeated two teams on Friday as well, putting them at 4-0 on the weekend.
Kentucky hit the courts running, sweeping Winthrop in the first of two matches. UK won doubles, never giving up more than three games on a court.
Junior Christine Johnston took court three for the second Wildcat point, 6-3, 6-4, against Sara Abutovic. The next two points would come as a result of battles of attrition.
Sophomore Megan Broderick took on Elizaveta Zaytseva on court one. After winning the first set 6-4, Broderick fell behind in the second. Winthrop would go up 4-1 before the Wildcat would take any other game. The next four games went to UK, and as Zaytseva hit the ball into the net, Broderick secured the win, 6-4.
The Cats held their breath, waiting for the fourth point as all courts seemed to be neck and neck. On court four, freshman Jennifer Stone was in her own struggle for a victory. After being defeated in a convincing manner, 6-1, by Winthrop’s Sandra Herrera in the first set, Stone rallied back to take the second in a tie-breaker, 7-6(2). The Greensboro, N.C., native kept rolling and broke down Herrera for a critical win in the third set, 6-0.
Kentucky held on all other courts, for a 7-0 win and the team’s fourth consecutive victory in the 2009 season.
In the afternoon’s match against Miami University, the Cats didn’t come away with the doubles win as quickly as in the morning. The first win came on court one with No. 42 Escamilla and Johnston pairing up against Megan Martzolf and Stephanie Danesis, 8-3. But the Redhawk’s Monica Gorny and Anastasia Dracheva took court two, 8-3, against Hines and Whitney Spencer. Broderick and freshman Caroline Lilley were able to secure the doubles point for Kentucky, winning 9-7, after Brintney Larson and Riekie Honiball double faulted.
During singles, Broderick came away with the first win, 6-1, 6-4, against MU’s Dracheva. Spencer quickly followed on court four, topping the Redhawk’s Martzolf, 6-2, 6-3. Miami put themselves on the board in a two-set tie-break win on court two with Gorny outplaying Escamilla, 6-4, 7-6(3). But Johnston was able to capture a court three against Danesis in three sets. The Wildcat took a 6-2 first set but dropped the second, 5-7. In a comeback effort, Johnston went 6-3 for the third set win.
Finishing the day was Lilley on court five, defeating Larson, 6-4, 6-2, and Miami received their second point after Hines retired on court six against Honiball, 4-6, 4-1, ret.
“I’m really proud of the whole team’s effort during the entire weekend,” head coach Carlos Drada said. “We played very competitive and eager teams. Our players worked hard to implement the skills we have been training in practice. These matches will help to prepare us for a good match against Ohio State.”
The Blue and White remain at home in the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex to host the No. 32 Ohio State Buckeyes on Wed., Feb. 4. The first ball is scheduled to cross the net at noon ET.
To follow the Wildcat women’s tennis team visit, www.ukathletics.com.
#22 Kentucky 7, Winthrop 0
Singles
1. #61 Megan Broderick (UK) def. Elizaveta Zaytseva (WU), 6-2, 6-4
2. Sarah Woestmann (UK) def. Patricia Coimbra (WU), 5-7, 7-5, 6-4
3. Christine Johnston (UK) def. Sara Abutovic (WU), 6-3, 6-2
4. Jennifer Stone (UK) def. Sandra Herrera (WU), 1-6, 7-6(2), 6-0
5. Minnette Pienaar (UK) def. Lisa Wilkinson (WU), 2-6, 6-1, 6-3
6. Chane Hines (UK) def. Paula Pereira (WU), 6-4, 6-0
Doubles
1. Escamilla/Lilley (UK) def. Coimbra/Zaytseva (WU), 8-3
2. Hines/Johnston (UK) def. Wilkinson/Herrera (WU), 8-3
3. Woestmann/Pienaar (UK) def. Abutovic/Pereira (WU), 8-2
Order of finish:
Singles: 3, 1, 4*, 2, 5, 6
Doubles: 1, 2, 3
#22 Kentucky 5, Miami (Ohio) 2
Singles
1. Megan Broderick (UK) def. Anastasia Dracheva (MU), 6-1, 6-4
2. Monica Gorny (MU) def. Carolina Escamilla (UK), 6-4, 7-6(3)
3. Christine Johnston (UK) def. Stephanie Danesis (MU), 6-2, 7-5, 6-3
4. Whitney Spencer (UK) def. Megan Martzolf (MU), 6-2, 6-3
5. Caroline Lilley (UK) def. Brintney Larson (MU), 6-4, 6-2
6. Riekie Honiball (MU) def. Chane Hines (UK), 6-4, 1-4, ret.
Doubles
1. #42 Escamilla/Johnston (UK) def. Martzolf/Danesis (MU), 8-3
2. Gorny/Dracheva (MU) def. Hines/Spencer (UK), 8-3
3. Broderick/Lilley (UK) def. Honiball/Larson (MU), 9-7
Order of finish:
Singles: 1, 4, 2, 3*, 6, 5
Doubles: 1, 2, 3
