Strong Singles Play Helps Tennis to 5-2 Victory Against Denver
Feb. 27, 2011
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Ekaterina Morozova clinched a 5-2 win for the Kansas women’s tennis team, Sunday afternoon at the Jayhawk Tennis Center, when she captured a victory in the No. 1 singles match against Denver’s Sophia Bergner that gave the Jayhawks their fourth and decisive point in the match.
The Jayhawks improved to 3-4 on the season, while the Pioneers fell to 3-7.
Coming into the match KU owned a 1-0 advantage, as the Pioneers’ were short a player due to an injury, thereby forcing Denver to default in third doubles and sixth singles. Needing just one doubles win to go up 2-0, the Jayhawks got just that when Morozova and Dylan Windom defeated Bergner and Elena Najera 8-6 in No. 1 doubles.
Now 2-0 heading into singles, Windom quickly downed Natalie Dunn 6-1, 6-2 to put the Jayhawks ahead by three. But Denver cut KU’s lead to just one after taking the fourth and second singles matches.
After a tight first set between Morozova and Bergner, KU’s top singles player rode the momentum of a 6-4 tiebreak win to a 6-2 victory in the second set to put the match away and seal the win for KU.
Paulina Los finished off a strong day the Jayhawks winning a marathon contest against Emma Isberg in No. 3 singles. Los dropped the first set 6-4, but pulled out to a lead in the second. Isberg fired right back tying at 3-3, and the two played close throughout the second set, with Los ending up on top 6-4 in the tiebreak.
The two continued to battle in the third set, with the match going back-and-forth until Los took a lead in the super tiebreaker. The freshman hung on for the 10-6 super tiebreak win, completing the comeback victory against Isberg.
The Jayhawks continue their long home stretch next weekend with two matches against Houston and Saint Louis. Up first is Houston, Saturday at 11 a.m. The Billikens will follow Sunday, again at 11 a.m.
Kansas 5, Denver 2
February 27, 2011 – Lawrence, Kan.
Jayhawk Tennis Center
DOUBLES
No. 1: Morozova/Windom (KU) def. Bergner/Najera (DU) 8-6
No. 2: Dunn/Schnell (DU) def. Wilbert/Pezzotti (KU) 8-4
No. 3: Khanevskaya/Los (KU) def. injury
Order of finish: 3, 2, 1
SINGLES
No. 1: Ekaterina Morozova (KU) def. Sophia Bergner (DU) 7-6 (4), 6-2
No. 2: Elena Najera (DU) def. Monica Pezzotti (KU) 6-1, 6-1
No. 3: Paulina Los (KU) leads Emma Isberg (DU) 4-6, 7-6 (6), 7-6 (6)
No. 4: Caroline Schnell (DU) def. Erin Wilbert (KU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 5: Dylan Windom (KU) def. Natalie Dunn (DU) 6-1, 6-2
No. 6: Victoria Khanevskaya (KU) def. injury
Order of finish: 6, 5, 2, 4, 1, 3
Team Records: Kansas 3-4, Denver 3-7
