Kansas Women's Tennis Falls at No. 36 Illinois, 7-0

Feb. 6, 2009

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. –

Three Jayhawks took their singles matches to three sets, but it wasn’t enough as the Kansas women’s tennis team was swept by No. 36 Illinois, 7-0 at Atkins Tennis Center Friday afternoon.

The loss is the first of the season for Kansas (3-1) and moves Illinois to 4-1 overall.

Sophomore Maria Martinez and freshmen Kate Morozova and Erin Wilbert each took the first set from her opponent before dropping the next two sets to lose the match. Martinez, playing at the No. 5 position, lost to Amy Allin (1-6, 6-1, 6-1), while Morozova fell to No. 89 Leigh Finnegan (3-6, 6-2, 6-0) at the No. 1 position. Illinois’ Kristina Minor then defeated Wilbert (3-6, 6-3, 6-4) in the No. 6 singles match.

The three other singles matches were decided in straight sets with Edina Horvath falling to Megan Fudge (6-2, 6-0), and Yuliana Svistun dropping her match to Chelcie Abajian (6-3, 6-3). Kuni Dorn put up a fight, but could not overcome Marisa Lambropoulos, losing 7-6, 7-5.

Kansas’ doubles tandems did not fare much better as the Jayhawks lost the doubles point to the Fighting Illini. Horvath and Dorn, playing at the No. 1 position, lost to Finnegan and Abajian (8-6), while Svistun and Morozova fell to Lambropoulos and Fudge, 8-5. Allin and McCarthy of Illinois made short work of Martinez and Wilbert, taking the victory at the No. 3 position, 8-1.

The Jayhawks will look to rebound when they play Illinois-Chicago Saturday afternoon. The match will also be played at Atkins Tennis Center and is set to start at noon.

Check back with kuathletics.com for complete match results.

Illinois 7 Kansas 0

Doubles

1. Finnegan/Abajian def. Horvath/Dorn 8-6

2. Lambropoulos/Fudge def. Svistun/Morozova 8-5

3. Allin/McCarthy def. Martinez/Wilbert 8-1

Singles

1. Finnegan def. Morozova 3-6, 6-2, 6-0

2. Fudge def. Horvath 6-2, 6-0

3. Lambropoulos def. Dorn 7-6, 7-5

4. Abajian def. Svistun 6-3, 6-3

5. Allin def. Martinez 1-6, 6-1, 6-1

6. Minor def. Wilbert 3-6, 6-3, 6-4