No. 20 Women's Tennis Edged by No. 6 Florida
April 3, 2015
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 20 Kentucky women’s tennis team played its second top 10 team in the last week in No. 6 Florida but suffered a 4-1 loss in a tightly-contested match Friday night at the Boone Tennis Center.
Despite facing their highest-ranked opponent since early February, the Wildcats did not back down from facing a Florida team that had lost just one match this season.
“It was a great match. We played against a great Florida team,” head coach Carlos Drada said. “When you’re playing them, you know that it’s going to be a physical experience. We had great opportunities to continue the lead after doubles, but we didn’t capitalize on the advantages that we had. We need to get better and we look forward to Sunday’s match.”
Kentucky fell to 15-8 on the season and 6-4 in Southeastern Conference play. Florida improved to 18-1, with its only loss coming to third-ranked North Carolina at ITA National Indoors.
The Gators remained undefeated in SEC play and have all six of their players in the top 112 individuals in the nation, three of which are in the top 25 and two in the top 10. Florida has three doubles pairings ranked in the top 54, with one in the top 10.
Kentucky opened up doubles play with an 8-5 win from Kirsten Lewis and Nadia Ravita on court No. 2 over the 54th-ranked doubles pairing in the country of Spencer Liang/Belinda Woolcock. Florida won on court No. 3, leaving the winner at No. 1 doubles to clinch the doubles point.
At No. 1 doubles, Aldila Sutjiadi and Mami Adachi won the last three games of the set to defeat No. 8 Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan by a score of 8-7 and clinch the doubles point for the Wildcats.
Kentucky took a 1-0 lead into singles play.
Florida then tied that match with Brooke Austin, the fifth-ranked player in the country, defeating Sutjiadi. Florida followed with a win at No. 2 singles to give the Gators a 2-1 lead.
Florida’s 37th-ranked player in the country, Keegan, handed Adachi only her third loss of the season at No. 4 singles, 4-6, 6-2, 6-4, to increase its lead to 3-1.
Kelsey Dieters was not able to break away from Brianna Morgan, the 24th-ranked player in the nation, and the Gators clinched the match with the win at No. 3 singles.
The Wildcats are back in action on Sunday, April 5, as they take on No. 31 South Carolina. Sunday is Senior Day, as UK will honor seniors Kelsey Dieters, Stephanie Fox, Edmée Morin-Kougoucheff, and Grace Trimble. Festivities will begin at 11:45 a.m. ET and the match will begin at 12 p.m. ET at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
No. 6 Florida 4, No. 20 Kentucky 1
Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex – Lexington, Ky.
April 3, 2015
Singles (Order of finish: 1, 2, 4, 3*)
1 – #5 Brooke Austin (UF) def. Aldila Sutjiadi (UK), 6-3, 6-1
2 – #7 Josie Kuhlman (UF) def. #76 Nadia Ravita (UK), 6-2, 6-4
3 – #24 Brianna Morgan (UF) def. Kelsey Dieters (UK), 7-6, 7-5
4 – #37 Kourtney Keegan (UF) def. #121 Mami Adachi (UK), 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
5 – Kirsten Lewis (UK) vs. #41 Belinda Woolcock (UF), DNF, 6-4, 2-2
6 – Edmée Morin-Kougoucheff (UK) vs. #112 Peggy Porter (UF), DNF, 4-6, 1-0
Doubles (Order of finish: 2, 3, 1*)
1 – Aldila Sutjiadi/Mami Adachi (UK) def. #8 Brooke Austin/Kourtney Keegan (UF), 8-7
2 – Kirsten Lewis/Nadia Ravita (UK) def. #54 Spencer Liang/Belinda Woolcock (UF), 8-5
3 – #31 Josie Kuhlman/Peggy Porter (UF) def. Kelsey Dieters/Edmée Morin-Kougoucheff (UK), 8-5
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis team, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and on the web at UKathletics.com.
