UK Drops Heartbreaker to DePaul in NCAA Tournament Opener
May 8, 2015
ANN AROBOR, Mich. — The No. 25 Kentucky women’s tennis team made a strong second-set push in singles, but it was not enough in a 4-1 loss to No. 37 DePaul in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament Friday in Ann Arbor, Mich.
On a warm, sun-soaked morning and early afternoon at Michigan’s Varsity Tennis Center, the Wildcats (15-12) dropped a tightly-contest doubles point before they lost all but one set in the first set of singles. As Mami Adachi secured a 6-1, 6-2 win on court No. 4 in dominant fashion to tie the match at 1-1, UK answered with a run in the second set. Kentucky traded games with DePaul (21-4) before the Blue Demons pulled away with wins on courts No. 6, 2 and 5.
Adachi earned the victory at No. 4 singles with a 6-1, 6-2 win over DePaul’s Patricia Fargas. She claimed the match in dominating fashion to improve to 17-6 in her first semester as a Wildcat. Adachi won with the help of strong runs to close each set.
In the first set, Adachi and Fargas were tied 1-1 before the Tokyo, Japan, native won the next five games. In the second, they were tied at 2-2 before Adachi won the final four games to clinch the win.
Adachi’s season continues at the NCAA Championships, as she and sophomore Aldila Sutjiaidi earned an at-large bid to compete in doubles at the national championships. The third consecutive season UK has qualified at least one individual for the NCAA Championships, Adachi and Sutjiadi will compete on May 20-25 in Waco, Texas.
In a stacked NCAA Regional field that featured three conference champions, DePaul, No. 11 Michigan and Miami (Ohio), UK was making its 22nd NCAA Championships appearance in program history. Kentucky earned back-to-back NCAA bids for the first time since 2008-09, the last time UK made the postseason before it returned last season. The Wildcats’ 2015 Tournament run was their sixth under 10th-year head coach Carlos Drada.
Kentucky fell behind to DePaul 1-0 early on Friday morning after the Blue Demons claimed the doubles point. At No. 3 doubles, seniors Edmee Morin-Kougoucheff and Kelsey Dieters posted an 8-4 win before Kirsten Lewis and Nadia Ravita lost on court No. 2, 8-4.
Trailing by four games on the top court, Adachi and Sutjiadi fought back to win five consecutive games to take a 7-5 lead. DePaul would force a tiebreaker though, and win the match and the doubles point, 8-7 (7-2)
When singles commenced, UK trailed 1-0, but Adachi’s quick work of Fargas tied the match at 1-1.
DePaul regained the lead with a 6-2, 6-3 win at No. 6 singles with a victory over Stephanie Fox. The advantage grew to 3-1 when Sutjiadi fell on court No. 2, 6-2, 6-0.
The Wildcats trailed 3-1, but they made the Blue Demons work for the final point. The clinching point came when Kirsten Lewis fell at No. 5 singles, 6-3, 6-4.
When play was stopped, Ravita was climbing back in the second set vs. Yulia Shupenia before falling 6-3, 5-3. On court No. 3, Dieters lost the first set, 6-3, but was in the midst of a tight second set vs. Ana Vladutu and tied at 6-6 with the tiebreaker underway.
No. 37 DePaul 4, No. 25 Kentucky 1
Varsity Tennis Center, Ann Arbor, Mich.
May 8, 2015
Singles (Order of Finish: 4, 6, 2, 5):
1 — Yulia Shupenia (DePaul) vs. No. 69 Nadia Ravita (UK), DNF (6-3, 5-3)
2 — Patricia Lancranjan (DePaul) def. No. 117 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK), 6-2, 6-0
3 — Ana Vladutu (DePaul) vs. Kelsey Dieters (UK), DNF (6-3, 6-6)
4 — Mami Adachi (UK) def. Patricia Fargas (DePaul), 6-1, 6-2
5 — Jasmin Kling (DePaul) def. Kirsten Lewis (UK), 6-3, 6-4
6 — Rebeca Mitrea (DePaul) def. Stephanie Fox (UK), 6-2, 6-3
Doubles (Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1)
1 — Patricia Fargas/Jasmin Kling (DePaul) def. No. 25 Aldila Sutjiadi/Mami Adachi (UK), 8-7 (2)
2 — Ana Vladutu/Yulia Shupenia (DePaul) def. Kirsten Lewis/Nadia Ravita (UK), 8-4
3 — Edmee Morin-Kougoucheff/Kelsey Dieters (UK) def. No. 87 Rebeca Mitrea/Zaina Sufi (DePaul), 8-4
Visit UKathletics.com for the most up-to-date information on the Kentucky women’s tennis team and all 22 varsity sports. For additional info, notes, and behind-the-scenes updates, follow the team on Twitter at @UKWomensTennis and on Facebook.
