Mikulskyte, Paražinskaite Upset 11th-Ranked Duo, Become Unbeaten in Eight Ranked Matches

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The No. 24 University of Kentucky women’s tennis team clinched the doubles point at No. 18 Tennessee on Sunday, but it wouldn’t be enough to spark momentum in the singles division. In its final dual match of the regular season, the UK program is 17-7 overall and 7-6 in the Southeastern Conference, after falling to Tennessee on a 4-1 outcome in Knoxville, Tennessee.
 
It looked promising from the start for UK, clinching the doubles point in back-to-back wins on courts Nos. 1 & 2. On the first court, the faithful upperclassmen doubles team in senior Justina Mikulskyte and redshirt-junior Akvile Paražinskaite reported a 6-4 upset over No. 11 Sadie Hammond and Kaitlin Staines to set the pace. Redshirt-sophomore Lesedi Jacobs and junior Anastasia Tkachenko followed, defeating Maia Haumuller and Tenika McGiffin on the second court, 6-4.
 
Mikulskyte and Paražinskaite, who are ranked 17th in the nation as a twosome, move to an impressive 8-0 mark against ranked opponents in the nation. In the process, the UK pair has upset four doubles teams ranked inside the top 15, including the No. 1 pair in the nation in March. Together, Mikulskyte and Paražinskaite are 13-4 overall this season.
 
Even with that burst of confidence, in the end it wouldn’t be enough to notch a successful match at Tennessee. In the singles division, the Volunteers documented four straight matches in their favor to defeat UK, 4-1.
 
Jacobs foiled to Staines in singles on the second court, 6-4, 6-3. It was followed by No. 15 Mikulskyte’s defeat to No. 72 Hammond, 7-6 (6), 6-2. Then, A. Tkachenko dropped her match on the sixth court to Tennessee’s McGiffin, 6-4, 7-5. The dual match concluded with the Volunteers win on court No. 3, when Fiquet dropped to UT’s Johanna Silva in a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 match.
 
With the regular season coming to an end on Sunday, the UK women’s tennis team will set its sight on the 2019 SEC Championship in College Station, Texas, April 17-21. The league office will release the tournament bracket by the end of the night, once all conference matches are completed. 
 
For more on Kentucky women’s tennis, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, Kentucky Women’s Tennis on Facebook, or on the web at UKathletics.com.