🎾 Kansas Collects Nine Wins on Final Day of Kansas Invitational

LAWRENCE, Kan. –Kansas tennis concluded its first fall tournament as a team this weekend after registering an impressive five-out-of-six doubles victories at the Kansas Invitational on Sunday.

In the doubles session, Juniors Malkia Ngounoue and Sonia Smagina recorded a 2-0 outing on the day after beating Kansas State, 6-1, and Iowa State, 6-4. 

Tiffany Lagarde and Roxana Manu split the morning, defeating ISU pair, Christin Hsieh and Chie Kezuka, 6-3, while dropping a match against Lilla Barzo and Manami Ukita of KSU.

Junior Julia Deming and sophomore Vasiliki Karvouni posted two doubles victories in matches against Barzo and Ukita (6-4), and Maria Linares and Anna Turco (6-3).

In singles play, KU continued to dominate, picking up four more wins to round out the tournament. Ngounoue claimed her third consecutive win in straight sets, defeating ISU’s Maty Cancini, 6-4, 6-1. 

Smagina added to the team’s victories with her win against Brazo by the score of 6-0, 6-2. 

Karvouni went to three sets in her win over Turco (6-3, 1-6, 6-2), while Manu’s match was retired, giving her the victory over Linares (6-4, 3-1).

"We had a great weekend of tennis. It felt fantastic to get back out and compete as a team after six months. We definitely got better this weekend, and we also found a lot of things we need to work on to continue our development as a team. Our goal was to have our best day on the last day when we were tired and sore, and the girls definitely did that today."

Kansas Head Coach Todd Chapman

Singles

🎾  Ngounoue def. Cancini (ISU) 6-4, 6-1
🎾  Maffei (KSU) def. Lagarde 1-6, 6-4, 6-2
🎾  Smagina def. Brazo (KSU) 6-0, 6-2
🎾  Karvouni def. Turco (KSU) 6-3, 1-6, 6-2
🎾  Manu def. Linares (KSU) 6-4, 3-1 (retired)
🎾  Kezuka (ISU) def. Deming 6-1, 6-3

Doubles

🎾  Ngounoue/Smagina def. Turco/Decker (KSU) 6-1
🎾  Lagarde/Manu def. Hseih/Chang (ISU) 6-3
🎾  Deming/Karvouni def. Barzo/Ukita (KSU) 6-4
🎾  Ngounoue/Smagina def. Hseih/Kezuka (ISU) 6-4
🎾  Barzo/Ukita (KSU) def. Lagarde/Manu 6-4
🎾  Deming/Karvouni def. Linares/Turco (KSU) 6-3