July 24, 2013

LEXINGTON, Ky. – After fighting for a third set, Kentucky women’s tennis sophomore Nadia Ravita was eliminated in the second round of the Fifth Third Tennis Championships on Monday. The last Wildcat left in the tournament, she faced No. 5 Lauren Herring from the University of Georgia, falling 7-5, 3-6, 6-1.

“Nadia has done a great job improving her skill set,” said UK head coach Carlos Drada. “I am confident that the results from this tournament will give her the understanding that she can compete against any player at the collegiate level. Her best years are ahead of her.”

To face Herring, Ravita first defeated Elizabath Vlachakis of Ann Arbor, Mich., on Sunday in the first round of the tournament. She dominated the match, taking it in two sets with a score of 6-0, 6-1. The four other men’s and women’s Wildcats in the tournament, including senior Caitlin McGraw, fell in the first round.

Ravita also paired up with McGraw in the doubles draw today, where the two faced No. 1 Lauren Embree of the University of Florida and No. 4 Robin Anderson of UCLA, both ranked in singles according to the Intercollegiate Tennis Association. Ravita and McGraw proved to be fierce competition, but could not hold off Embree and Anderson, falling 6-4, 6-2.

Ravita ended her freshman year at No. 34 in the singles rankings. She reached as high as No. 22, the highest singles ranking for a UK player since 2006. She was also the first Wildcat to receive a singles at-large bid for the 2013 NCAA Division 1 Women’s Tennis Championships since 2006.

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