No. 18 Gators Top Wildcats, 6-1
GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kentucky women’s tennis team had a strong start to the match against No. 18 Florida, winning the doubles point courtesy of two ranked wins on the No. 1 and 2 courts, but ultimately fell in a 6-1 decision to the Gators. Kentucky falls to 11-3 on the season and 0-2 in Southeastern Conference play, while Florida advances to 8-2 (3-0 SEC).
The Wildcats’ doubles play was undoubtedly the highlight of the day, as Kentucky won the point despite a lineup of three ranked Gator duos. No. 5 Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi were the first to strike, taking down No. 7 Brooke Austin and Kourtney Keegan, 6-1, to mark the first top-10 win of the championship season for the pair. Morgan Chumney and Akvile Paražinskaitê secured the doubles point on Court 2, earning their first ranked win with a 6-4 victory over No. 22 Josie Kuhlman and Belinda Woolcock.
The Gators would go on to sweep singles, but Kentucky saw strong efforts out of the freshman Lithuanian duo of Paražinskaitê and Justina Mikulskyte. Mikulskytê took on No. 15 Austin on the No. 1 singles court, pushing a third set in her 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-2 setback. Paražinskaite gave a tremendous performance against No. 121 Brianna Morgan, winning the first set, 6-4 before falling 6-1 in the second. The deciding set went to extra games, with Morgan coming away with a 7-6(8) victory.
On the No. 2 court, No. 42 Sutjiadi faced the No. 5 singles player in the nation in Woolcock, falling in 6-4, 6-3 sets. In the remaining matches against a ranked opponent, Nadia Ravita fell to No. 37 Keegan, 6-2, 6-0, and Chumney dropped her match to No. 108 Kuhlman, 6-4, 6-1. On Court 6, Florida’s Spencer Liang completed the singles sweep with a 6-3, 6-0 win over Adachi.
The Wildcats remain on the road in the toughest conference in the nation, taking on No. 12 South Carolina on Saturday. Kentucky will play the Gamecocks at 1 p.m. ET in Columbia, S.C.
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.
Final Results
Doubles (Order of finish: 1, 2*)
1 – No. 5 Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) def. No. 7 Brooke Austin/Kourtney Keegan (UF), 6-1
2 – Morgan Chumney/Akvile Paražinskaite (UK) def. No. 22 Josie Kuhlman/Belinda Woolcock (UF), 6-4
3 – No. 58 Anna Danilina/Brianna Morgan vs. Justina Mikulskyte/Nadia Ravita (UK), 5-4, abandoned
Singles (Order of finish: 3, 5, 6, 2*, 1, 4)
1 – No. 15 Brooke Austin (UF) def. Justina Mikulskyte (UK), 6-2, 6-7(7), 6-2
2 – No. 5 Belinda Woolcock (UF) def. No. 42 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK), 6-4, 6-3
3 – No. 37 Kourtney Keegan (UF) def. Nadia Ravita (UK), 6-2, 6-0
4 – No. 121 Brianna Morgan (UF) def. Akvile Paražinskaite (UK), 4-6, 6-1, 7-6(8)
5 – No. 108 Josie Kuhlman (UF) def. Morgan Chumney (UK), 6-4, 6-1
6 – Spencer Liang (UF) def. Mami Adachi (UK), 6-3, 6-0
