Kentucky Women’s Tennis Falls at No. 24 Ole Miss
OXFORD, Miss. – Senior Anastasia Tkachenko is undefeated in conference action, but the University of Kentucky women’s tennis team lost to No. 24 Ole Miss, 4-1, in Oxford, Mississippi, on Sunday afternoon. The Wildcats are now 8-5 overall, including a 1-1 mark in the Southeastern Conference.
Kentucky won the first of three doubles matches but lost the following two to lose the doubles point. Kentucky’s Lesedi Jacobs and Anastasia Tkachenko ousted Grace Anne Jones and Kelsey Mize in a swift decision on the third court, 6-1. The UK pair moved to a 6-1 record and a 2-0 mark in the conference, Kentucky’s best doubles record posted this season.
However, it wasn’t enough to spur a run, as Ole Miss secured the next two doubles matches, earning the first point. UK’s Carlota Molina and Diana Tkachenko lost to Tereza Janatova and Anna Vrbenska on the second court, falling 6-1. Then, Carla Girbau and Akvile Parazinskaite lost to Sabina Machalova and Alexa Bortles on the first court, 6-1.
Trailing the Rebels by one point ahead of the singles competition, the Wildcats needed to win four singles matches to come out of the dual match with an upset.
Ole Miss recorded two straight singles wins, as Mize ousted Diana Tkachenko on the fifth court, 6-4, 6-3, then Bortles upset No. 97 Molina on the third court, 6-2, 6-3.
Anastasia Tkachenko took care of business on the sixth court for the second time this weekend, defeating Ole Miss’ Vic de Samucewicz, 6-3, 6-4, giving UK its only point of the dual match. The senior boasts an impressive 11-2 singles record this season, including a 2-0 mark in the league.
The solo singles win wasn’t enough to push Kentucky over the hump though, as Ole Miss’ Vrbenska defeated Girbau, 6-4, 6-2.
Next on the Schedule
The Kentucky women’s tennis team will return to the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Center on Friday, March 6, playing host to Alabama at 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.
