April 19, 2012
OXFORD, Miss. – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team ended its run in the Southeastern Conference Championship, hosted by Ole Miss, with a loss to 6th-seeded South Carolina. The match ended with a 5-0 result as two singles courts finished simultaneously to finish out play.
Kentucky started strong in doubles play on the beautiful day in Oxford, Miss. The 82nd-ranked doubles duo of Caitlin McGraw and Jessica Stiles provided one of the fiercest matches of the day for the Cats. The pair trailed 37th-ranked Dijana Stojic and Jaklin Alawi for the first part of the match but mounted an impressive comeback.The Cats faced match point at five different instances, refusing to back down. After two deuces with the score at 7-6, Stojic and Alawi finally grabbed the last point to take the match and the doubles point with it.
In singles play, multiple Cats found a second wind in the second set of play. After dropping the first set, 6-1, Stiles came back in the second set against No. 39 Anya Morgina with force. She grabbed the first game to lead 1-0 and the two went back and forth for the rest of the set. Eventually, Morgina was able to slightly edge out Stiles to take the victory, 6-1, 6-4.
Morin and Blajkevtich also came back strong in the second set. Blajkevitch took a commanding lead over Alawi at 4-0 but Alawi didn’t back down completely. Eventually, Blajkevitch took the second set, forcing the match into a third set. Morin was en route to a third set as well as she led Dominka Kanakova 4-1 in the second set, but the simultaneous losses at No. 4 and No. 5 singles decided the match before the two could finish.
As the Wildcats close out play in the SEC Tournament, they conclude the 2011-2012 season. Kentucky finishes 9-14 on the season, posting a 1-11 record in the SEC and an 8-6 record at home. The young team will return all of its players, as the team holds no seniors.
For more information on the UK women’s tennis team, log on to UKathletics.com.
AGATE
SEC Tournament
Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center at Oxford, Miss.
April 19, 2012
No. 28 South Carolina 5, Kentucky 0
Doubles:
1) No. 37 Stojic/Alawi (USC) def. No. 82 Stiles/McGraw (UK) 8-6
2) Morgina/Kanakova vs. Morin/Blajkevtich (UK) 3-6 DNF
3) Anderson/Popova def. Fox/Testerman (UK) 8-4
Singles:
1) No. 39 Anya Morgina (USC) def. Jessica Stiles (UK) 6-1, 6-4
2) Khristina Blajkevtich (UK) vs. No. 89 Jaklin Alawi (USC) 0-6, 6-4, 1-0 DNF
3) Edmée Morin-Kougoucheff (UK) vs Dominika Kanakova (USC) 3-6, 4-1 DNF
4) No. 85 Dijana Stojic (USC) def. Stephanie Fox (UK) 6-1, 6-3
5) Katerina Popova (USC) def. Caitlin McGraw (UK) 6-2, 6-3
6) Adriana Pereira (USC) def. Misha Testerman (UK) 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish:
Doubles: 3, 1*
Singles: 1, 6, 5, 4*
