No. 7 K-State Eliminates No. 10 KU from the Big 12 Tennis Championships

April 28, 2011

WACO, Texas –

Kansas battled through its rematch against Kansas State in Thursday’s opening round of the Big 12 Tennis Championship at the Baylor Tennis Center. But the seventh-seeded Wildcats prevailed, as 10th-seeded KU fell 4-1 and was eliminated from postseason contention.

“It is always a special event playing in the conference championship, but we thought we had our opportunities and we set ourselves up to be here,” said eighth-year KU head coach Amy Hall-Holt. “We played hard and K-State is a very good team, so kudos to them.”

In doubles play, KU opened up with a loss in a close No. 3 match when Monica Pezzotti and Paulina Los fell 8-6 to Ana Gomez-Aleman and Carmen Borau Ramos. The Jayhawks then bounced back with a win in the No. 1 match. Ekaterina Morozova and Dylan Windom took that match also with a score of 8-6 to even the contest.

But K-State then received the point with an 8-5 No. 2 doubles win.

Sara Lazarevic and Pezzotti fell in the first two singles contests to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead. Windom downed Borau Ramos 6-2, 6-2 in sixth singles to put KU on the board.

While Paulina Los and Erin Wilbert battled Nina Sertic and Petra Chuda in the Nos. 4 and 5 contests, the No. 109-ranked Morozova dueled No. 49 Petra Neidermayerova to a third set. Morozova took the first set 6-3, before K-State’s freshman came back with a 6-1 win. Morozova then struggled in the third, and Niedermayerova easily took the decisive set 6-0 to clinch the match for KSU.

“Clearly, the match at No. 1 was important,” said Kansas State head coach Steve Beitau. “Petra made a great comeback to beat a good player.”

“We got out and fought and did what we could,” Hall-Holt said. “But now, we’ve got to start building for next year.”

The Jayhawks finish the season 9-13 overall, while the No. 44-ranked Wildcats will enter the second round of competition at 16-6 on the season.