Kentucky Women’s Tennis Loses at No. 17 Washington
SEATTLE – The University of Kentucky women’s tennis team once again took a top-20 team to the seventh match at the ITA Kick-Off Weekend but couldn’t withstand the test, dropping to No. 17 Washington in a 4-3 decision on Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats are 5-2 this season, including a 1-2 mark on the road and a 0-2 mark against ranked foes.
Kentucky gave up the doubles point to begin the dual match with a pair losses on courts Nos. 2 and 3, the same two courts that gave up the doubles point in the first round. The Wildcats have now dropped the doubles point twice this season, with both of those occasions ending in a loss.
On the third doubles court, Carlota Molina and Anastasia Tkachenko lost to Zoey Weil and Nika Zupancic in a 6-2 decision. Following that match, Diana Tkachenko and Carla Girbau allowed Katarina Kopcalic and Sedona Gallagher to clinch the doubles competition with a 6-4 triumph on the second court.
The No. 21 doubles team in the nation in Lesedi Jacobs and Akvile Paražinskaite were losing their doubles match to Vanessa Wong and Natsuho Arakawa, 4-5, before it was abandoned. The UK tandem remains 13-1 in doubles action overall in 2019-20.
Fueled by the doubles point, Washington used its momentum to craft a 3-0 lead in the dual match after reporting a pair of quick singles wins on courts Nos. 1 and 2. Arakawa defeated No. 59 Jacobs on the second court in a 6-2, 6-4 decision. Then, No. 102 Wong defeated Parazinskaite in a 6-3, 6-3 decision.
While all the momentum appeared to go in Washington’s direction, Kentucky answered with three straight singles wins on the third, fifth and sixth courts. Senior D. Tkachenko reported a win on the fifth court to give UK its first point in the dual match, as the veteran defeated Nika Zupancic in a 6-3, 2-6, 6-1 decision. Her twin sister, A. Tkachenko, came from behind to card a 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 triumph against Zoey Weil on the sixth court.
Tying the dual match at 3-3, freshman Molina also came from behind to punch a 2-6, 6-5, 6-4 ticket over No. 88 Katarina Kopcalic on the third court.
Molina has recorded two straight singles wins over ranked opponents this weekend, and she boasts the best singles record on the team with an 11-1 mark overall and a 6-0 mark this season.
Just like the first round of the tournament, the dual match came down to sophomore Girbau on the third court. The Miami (Fla.) transfer fought hard in three sets, but lost to Sedona Gallagher in a 5-7, 6-4, 6-4 decision
Next on the Schedule
The Kentucky women’s tennis team will travel to Bloomington, Indiana, to face Indiana on Jan. 31 at 6 p.m. ET.
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.
