KU Tennis Drops Heartbreaker in Sunflower Showdown, 4-3

April 13, 2005

Lawrence, Kan. – The University of Kansas tennis team dropped a tough match to the Kansas State Wildcats, 4-3, Wednesday at Robinson Courts. The loss drops the Jayhawks record to 4-14 overall and 3-6 in Big 12 play.

The Jayhawks started the day off by losing the doubles point before freshman Lauren Hommell quickly gave the team a spark with a straight-set victory over K-State’s Tereza Prochazkova, 6-2, 6-1, in No. 4 singles. With the match tied, 1-1, the Jayhawks dropped the next two matches as the Wildcats took a 3-1 lead with victories at the No. 1 and No. 2 position.

KU answered with two victories of their own as freshman Stephanie Smith came from behind to continue her four-match winning streak with a 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over KSU’s Fernanda Da Valle in No. 6 singles. In No. 5 singles, sophomore Ashley Filberth notched a straight-set victory over the Wildcats’ Judith Diaz, 6-2, 7-5, to tie the match at 3-3.

The Jayhawks rally fell short after Kansas State sealed the victory at the No. 3 position as sophomore Brittany Brown fell to KSU’s Jessica Simosa, 6-1, 5-7, 6-1.

“Our singles winners (Hommell, Filberth and Smith) all played well and with a lot of intensity today,” KU head coach Amy Hall-Holt said. “We need to work on becoming stronger mentally and we need to start faster in doubles this weekend against Colorado.”

The Jayhawks will host the Colorado Buffaloes on Saturday at Robinson Courts. The match is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m.

-Results Follow-

Doubles

1. Rosenberg/Kvaratskhelia (KSU) def. Skoda/Hommell (KU) 8-0

2. Simosa/Diaz (KSU) def. Brown/Avdeeva (KU) 8-1

3. Prochazkova/Da Valle (KSU) def. Filberth/Smith (KU) 8-3

Order of Finish- 1, 2, 3

Singles

1. Maria Rosenberg (KSU) def. Elizaveta Avdeeva (KU) 7-5, 6-4

2. Tamar Kvaratskhelia (KSU) def. Christine Skoda (KU) 6-0, 7-6 (4)

3. Jessica Simosa (KSU) def. Brittany Brown (KU) 6-1, 5-7, 6-1

4. Lauren Hommell (KU) def. Tereza Prochazkova (KSU) 6-2, 6-1

5. Ashley Filberth (KU) def. Judith Diaz (KSU) 6-2, 7-5

6. Stephanie Smith (KU) def. Fernanda Da Valle (KSU) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3

Order of Finish- 4, 2, 1, 6, 5, 3