Two Wildcats Travel to South Carolina for Fall Opener
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Two players on the Kentucky women’s tennis team will travel south Saturday to open the program’s fall session.
Freshman Tiphanie Fiquet and senior Justina Mikulskyte will compete in the International Tennis Federation Future 15K hosted at the Van Der Meet Shipyard Racquet Club in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Qualifying rounds will run Sunday through Monday, with the main draw scheduled to begin Tuesday. The tournament will conclude on Sept. 30.
Live scoring can be found here: http://live.itftennis.com/en/live-scores/?tourkey=W-WITF-USA-32A-2018.
“It is a privilege to be in a place where our players can continue to improve their skill sets while maintaining their world ranking,” said head coach Carlos Drada. “Both Justina and Tiphanie have done a great job preparing this summer for this type of tournament. I expect that both of them will gain a valuable experience which will allow them to continue their contributions to our team’s success.”
Fiquet will make her collegiate debut competing as a single in the main draw. Prior to becoming a Wildcat, Fiquet studied at the National Center for Distance Education of France, while earning ranks in the Women’s Tennis Association, currently No. 1,105 in the singles rankings. Fiquet joined the Kentucky program after finishing as a quarterfinalist at the 2017 Senior French Open.
Mikulskyte will compete in the singles qualifying round Sunday to inaugurate her senior campaign. She will face Brooke Milna of Australia in the first round. The 64-player field will look to fill eight qualifying spots ahead of the main draw, which is scheduled to begin Tuesday. Mikulskyte would face three opponents if she were to win her bracket and qualify for the main event.
Mikulskyte is one of two Wildcats ranked in the International Tennis Association’s preseason singles poll, at No. 91. Mikulskyte has boasted three propelling years for the Kentucky program, earning four ranked singles wins in dual play last season.
The 2017-18 season brought good fortune to the Wildcats earning their fifth-straight bid to the 2018 NCAA Championships, their 25th all-time appearance. The program hopes to use the fall slate as preparation for another successful regular and post season.
Last year, Kentucky recorded a 14-12 overall record, posting a 6-7 record in the Southeastern Conference. Two current roster members ended the 2017-18 season ranked in the ITA Rankings. In the singles category, senior Akvile Paražinskaite claimed the No. 102 spot. Junior Lesedi Jacobs, paired with former Wildcat Emily Fanning, took the No. 75 spot in the doubles division.
NEXT STOP
Kentucky will travel to Charleston, South Carolina, Sept. 28-30 for the ITF Future 25K, followed by the 34th annual Riviera Women’s All-American Tennis Championships. The annual event will be hosted at the Riviera Tennis Club Sept. 28-Oct. 9.
ABOUT ITF WOMEN’S CIRCUIT
The ITF Women’s Circuit provides entry level tournaments enabling players to eventually reach the Women’s Tennis Association Tour. ITF offers over 500 tournaments in over 60 countries, annually. Kentucky student-athletes are not permitted to accept prize money at ITF events due to NCAA rules.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter, on Facebook at Facebook.com/UKWomensTennis, and on the web at UKathletics.com.
