Kentucky Drops 4-0 Decision to Northwestern in ITA Kickoff Opener

LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 21 Kentucky women’s tennis team dropped its first match of the season on Friday afternoon, falling 4-0 to the Northwestern Wildcats in the opening round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend.
 
Kentucky (2-1) got off to a rough start, dropping the doubles points against a tough Northwestern (3-0) squad. Two of NU’s doubles teams rank inside the top 10 of the Oracle/ITA Division I Doubles Rankings. UK dropped its first doubles match on court three, before the No. 8 doubles team in the country, NU’s Alex Chatt/Lee Or, clinched the point for Northwestern in No. 2 doubles.
 
UK was not able to win a set in any of its singles matches, as Northwestern picked up three singles wins in straight sets. Three of NU’s singles players are ranked inside the top 100 of the Oracle/ITA Division I Singles Rankings.
 
Kentucky will look to bounce back on Saturday, competing in the consolation match at 10 a.m. ET inside the Boone Tennis Complex. The match will pit UK against either No. 16 UCLA or NC State.
 
Agate
#21 Kentucky 0, Northwestern 4
Lexington, Ky. – Boone Tennis Complex
Jan. 26, 2018
 
Doubles (Order of Finish: 3-2)
1 – No. 4 Erin Larner/Maddie Lipp (NU) vs. Emily Fanning/Mami Adachi, 5-2, unf.
2 – No. 8 Alex Chatt/Lee Or (NU) def. Justina Mikulskyte/Lesedi Jacobs, 6-1
3 – Rheeya Doshi/Julie Byrne (NU) def. Diana Tkachenko/Brianna Tulloch, 6-2
 
Singles (Order of Finish: 4-2-3)
1 – No. 60 Lee Or (NU) vs. Justina Mikulskyte, 7-5, 3-1, unf.
2 – Erin Larner (NU) def. Emily Fanning, 6-3, 6-2
3 – No. 92 Maddie Lipp (NU) def. Mami Adachi, 6-3, 6-4
4 – Inci Ogut (NU) def. Lesedi Jacobs, 6-3, 6-2
5 – No. 99 Rheeya Doshi (NU) vs. Diana Tkachenko, no result
6 – Alex Chatt (NU) vs. Brianna Tulloch, no result
 
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/UKWomensTennis and on the web at UKathletics.com.