DURHAM, N.C. – The Kentucky women’s tennis team faced off against the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils in the first away match of the season, putting on a tremendous effort against the top-10 team, with the Wildcats ultimately 4-2. Now 2-1, the Wildcats will use this battle as fuel for the rest of the tough competition ahead.

To start off the match with doubles play, No. 1 pair Julia Zhu and Marina Fuduric for Kentucky leave no room for error, dominating Duke’s An/Hovde and sweeping the match, 6-0. Then, Kentucky’s No. 3 pair of Zoe Hammond and Ellie Myers follow behind by defeating Duke’s Krug/Ballus, 6-1 and securing the doubles point for the cats. Asuncion Jadue and Reese Sager’s match went unfinished on court two, as the Wildcats clinched the 1-0 lead.

Heading to singles play with the 1-0 lead, Kentucky senior Hammond faced off against No. 23 Irina Ballus, ending the match by falling 6-4, 6-3 and giving Duke its first point of the match. Sager was matched up against No. 93 Kimchi and was defeated 7-5, 6-1.

Freshman Elena Molla had an exceptional performance facing off against Duke’s Krug, Molla won her singles match on court five 6-3, 6-4 and secured a singles point for Kentucky, leading the team to be tied up with Duke at 2-2.

Zhu had a tough match up against No. 98 Hovde, losing the first set, but battling back and securing the second set. This ultimately led to a decisive third set where Zhu fell short 6-4, 5-7, 6-2 and the Blue Devils got their first lead of the match 3-2.

Myers was one of the many courts that had a battle in three sets. The senior faced off against Duke’s Kruq, going game for game and leading to a close match ending with a score of 4-6, 6-0, 6-4. Jadue had an intense race to the best two of three where she faced off against No. 87 Yu. In an intense trade-off in games each set, the two fought tirelessly point after point, but with the Blue Devils securing the last singles point, was unfinished.

Although a tough loss against No. 7 Duke, the Wildcats must turn around quickly as they play once again in Durham on Saturday morning at 11 a.m. ET.

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Doubles Results:
1. Fuduric/Zhu (UK) def. Hovde/An (DUKE) 6-0
2. Yu/Kimchi (DUKE) vs. Jadue/Sager (UK) 4-1, unfinished
3. Hammond/Myers (UK) def. Balus/Krug (DUKE) 6-1
Order of finish: 3,1

Singles Results:
1. No. 23 Balus (DUKE) def. Hammond (UK) 6-4, 6-3
2. No. 98 Hovde (DUKE) def. Zhu (UK) 6-4, 5-7, 6-2
3. Jadue (UK) vs. No. 87 Yu (DUKE) 6-1, 5-7, 4-4, unfinished
4. No. 93 Kimchi (DUKE) def. Sager (UK) 7-5, 6-1
5. Molla (UK) def. Krug (DUKE) 6-3, 6-4
6. Kruq (DUKE) def. Myers (UK) 4-6, 6-0, 6-4
Order of finish: 4, 1, 5, 2, 6