Seventh Match Fight Wasn’t Enough, Kentucky Drops to No. 11 Southern California
SEATTLE – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team took No. 11 Southern California to the seventh match, but the team came up short in the end losing to the Trojans in the first round of the ITA Kick-Off Weekend in Seattle, Washington on Saturday evening.
The Wildcats move to a 5-1 record and 1-1 on the road. Kentucky will play either Princeton or No. 17 Washington in the consolation final on Sunday, Jan. 26 at 2 p.m. ET.
Kentucky lost the doubles point for the first time this season, allowing USC to take a lead to start the match. Trojans’ Constance Branstine and Salma Ewings defeated Carla Girbau and Diana Tkachenko, 6-2, on the second court. Then, Estella Jaeger and Danielle Wilson defeated Carlota Molina and Diana Tkachenko, 6-3, on the third court.
The 21st-best doubles team in the nation, Lesedi Jacobs and Akvile Paražinskaite did not complete their match on the first doubles court so their overall record remains 13-1.
In singles, freshman Molina improved her polished singles record, earning a win on court No. 3. The rookie from Gran Canaria, Spain, defeated No. 68 Sydney Van Alphen in a 6-3, 6-2 decision. It marks her first ranked win in her collegiate career. Molina leads the team in singles with a 10-1 record overall in 2019-20, while boasting a 5-0 mark this season.
No. 59 Jacobs proved why she is ranked in the nation’s top 60, recording Kentucky’s first singles win of the match on the second court. Jacobs knocked off Ewing in a 6-2, 6-1 decision, giving Ewing just three games in the singles match. The Namibia native moves to 11-4 overall and 5-0 this season.
Senior A. Tkachenko gave Kentucky its third point in the dual match, which tied the score 3-3 with Southern California. The veteran defeated Branstine in comeback fashion, earning a 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 win on the sixth court.
The dual match came down to the seventh point, as sophomore Girbau and No. 70 Willson contested on the fourth court. Girbau, a Miami (Fla.) transfer, had the singles match tied at 3-3 in the third set, before ranked Willson ran away with a 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 win and clinching the dual match in Southern California’s favor.
Kentucky will sport the same doubles and singles lineup in the consolation match Sunday.
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and on Instagram, on Facebook and on the web at UKathletics.com.
