Jan. 31, 2010
ATLANTA, Ga. — –
Coming off its first win of the spring season, the No. 34 University of Kentucky women’s tennis team (1-3) fell to No. 10 Georgia Tech 4-2 Sunday in the ITA Kickoff Weekend Qualifier Championship Match.
With UK trailing 2-0, sophomore Caroline Lilley (Portland, Ore.) grabbed Kentucky’s first point on court two, defeating No. 66 Sasha Krupina in straight sets, 6-4, 6-3. Saturday, Lilley upset No. 82 Alexa Guarachi of Alabama 7-6, 5-7, 7-6 (11-9). The victory marks Lilley’s third win of the season.
The Wildcats managed to pull within 3-2 at No. 3 singles when senior Christine Johnston (Columbus, Ohio) defeated Viet Ha Ngo 6-4, 7-5. Johnston took the first point for Kentucky Saturday, topping Alabama’s Pauline Bigos 5-7, 6-2, 6-1.
Georgia Tech (4-0) sealed the win at No. 4 singles when Yellow Jacket Amanda McDowell defeated UK sophomore Minnette Pienaar (Graaf-Reinet, South Africa) 6-2, 6-3.
The Yellow Jackets grabbed the doubles points, winning matches at No. 2 and No. 3. Hillary Davis and Ha Ngo topped UK’s Pienaar and freshman Elle Coldiron (Lexington, Ky.) 8-2 at No. 2 doubles. Lynn Lau and Elizabeth Kilborn defeated junior Nicole Scates (Lexington, Ky.) and junior Megan Broderick (Tampa, Fla.) 8-0 at No. 3 doubles.
UK’s Broderick lost to Falconi, the nation’s top singles player, 6-2, 6-2 at No. 1 singles as Georgia Tech grabbed an early 2-0 points advantage.
Coldiron, a walk-on at Kentucky, lost to Blau at No. 5 singles 6-0, 6-0.
The tournament, formally known as the ITA National Indoors Championship Qualifier, consisted of four teams seeded one-to-four with the one seed (Georgia Tech) playing the four (Arizona State) and the two seed (Kentucky) playing the three seed (Alabama). Georgia Tech, the champion of the Qualifier is invited to play in the Feb. 12-15 ITA National Team Indoor Championships.
The Wildcats upset No. 24 Alabama 4-3 to advance to the championship round.
Kentucky travels to Columbus, Ohio to take on Ohio State on Feb. 3. Match time is slated for 12 p.m. EST.
Stay tuned to UKathletics.com for complete coverage of the Kentucky women’s tennis team.
Agate
No. 10 Georgia Tech 4, No. 34 Kentucky 2
Singles
1. #1 Irina Falconi (GT) def. Megan Broderick (UK) 6-2, 6-2
2. Caroline Lilley (UK) def. #66 Sasha Krupina (GT) 6-4, 6-3
3. Christine Johnston (UK) def. Viet Ha Ngo (GT) 6-4, 7-5
4. Amanda McDowell (GT) def. Minnette Pienaar (UK) 6-2, 6-3
5. Lynn Blau (GT) def. Elle Coldiron (UK) 6-0, 6-0
6. Elizabeth Kilborn led Nicole Scates (UK) 5-1, unfinished
Doubles
1. Irina Falconi/Sasha Krupina (GT) vs. Caroline Lilley/Christine Johnston (UK) 7-2, unfinished
2. Hillary Davis/Viet Ha Ngo (GT) def. Minnette Pienaar/Elle Coldiron (UK) 8-2
3. Lynn Blau/Elizabeth Kilborn(GT) def. Megan Broderick/Nicole Scates (UK) 8-0
Order of Finish Doubles (3, 2, 1); Singles (1, 2, 5, 3*, 4)
