No. 23 Kentucky Concludes Regular Season at Ole Miss, Falls 4-1
OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 23 University of Kentucky women’s tennis team earned its second straight doubles point to boast a lead ahead of the singles competition, however it wasn’t enough to put together a triumph at Ole Miss. The Wildcats fell to the Rebels in a 4-1 decision in Oxford, Mississippi, Saturday afternoon, concluding the regular season with a 14-7 record, including a 6-7 mark in the Southeastern Conference.
Despite an unfortunate season finale, the squad opened the dual match with a 1-0 lead after recording its 18th doubles point through 21 dual matches this spring. In just their second appearance together, Lesedi Jacobs and Elizabeth Stevens defeated Lillian Gabrielsen and Tereza Janatova in a 6-1 outcome on the third court. Helping Kentucky pass the finish line in the doubles competition, No. 8-ranked Akvile Paražinskaite and Fiona Arrese defeated Alexa Bortles and Anna Vrbenska in a 7-5 outcome on the first court.
The eighth-ranked duo owns the best doubles record in the nation on the first court, boasting a 19-1 overall mark, a 16-1 regular-season mark, an 11-1 conference mark and a 6-1 mark against ranked foes.
It was all gas and no brakes for Ole Miss after that, though, forming four straight singles triumphs to defeat Kentucky in a 4-1 decision.
Carlota Molina fell to former Cat No. 63 Tiphanie Fiquet on the second court, 6-1, 6-0. No. 47 Paražinskaite dropped to No. 28 Sabina Machalova on the first court, 7-5, 6-1. Then, Carla Girbau lost to Anna Vrbenska on the fourth court, 7-6 (1), 6-0, while Maialen Morante dropped to Reka Zadori on the sixth court, 6-4, 7-5.
In Kentucky’s next appearance, the Cats will compete at the SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, April 19-23. The tournament bracket, schedule and final standings will be released soon.
No. 23 Kentucky 1, Ole Miss 4
April 10, 2021
Palmer/Salloum Tennis Center
Oxford, Miss.
Singles competition
1. #28 Sabina Machalova (OM) def. #47 Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) 7-5, 6-1
2. #63 Tiphanie Fiquet (OM) def. Carlota Molina (UK) 6-1, 6-0
3. #110 Tereza Janatova (OM) vs. #71 Lesedi Jacobs (UK) 4-6, 6-2, 3-4, unfinished
4. Anna Vrbenska (OM) def. Carla Girbau (UK) 7-6 (7-1), 6-0
5. Lillian Gabrielsen (OM) vs. Elizabeth Stevens (UK) 4-6, 6-4, 3-2, unfinished
6. Reka Zadori (OM) def. Maialen Morante (UK) 6-4, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. #8 Fiona Arrese/Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. Alexa Bortles/Anna Vrbenska (OM) 7-5
2. Tiphanie Fiquet/Sabina Machalova (OM) def. Carla Girbau/Anastasia Tkachenko (UK) 6-1
3. Lesedi Jacobs/Elizabeth Stevens (UK) def. Lillian Gabrielsen/Tereza Janatova (OM) 6-1
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.
