🎾 Ngounoue Finishes Second at ITA Regionals

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Kansas tennis junior Malkia Ngounoue finished second at the 2020 ITA Central Regional Championship in Fayetteville inside the Billingsley Tennis Center on Sunday.

Punching her ticket to the singles finals, Ngounoue began her day beating TCU’s Mercedes Aristegui, 6-2, 6-1 in the semifinals.

In the finals, Ngounoue battled Missouri’s Bronte Murgett in a three-set heartbreaker. The KU junior took the first set, 6-4, before dropping the last two sets in the 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7) loss.

In doubles, matches looked a little different as the student-athletes played the best two out of three sets with a super tiebreaker for the third. KU’s run ended after partners junior Sonia Smagina and Ngounoue dropped their semifinal match 6-4, 6-2 against Oklahoma’s Ivana and Carmen Corley.

"We are grateful for the opportunity we had to compete this weekend. We learned a lot about our team and where we are at this point in the fall season. We have a couple more weeks left, so I am excited to see the growth between now and our last event of the fall. Malkia is getting so much better and she is obviously disappointed that she didn’t win the tournament. She has a lot to be proud of and is ready to get back to work this week."

Todd Chapman, Kansas Head Coach

DOUBLES SF

I. Corley/C. Corley (Oklahoma) defeated Ngounoue /Sagmina 6-4, 6-2

SINGLES SF

Ngounoue defeated Aristegui (TCU) 6-2, 6-1

SINGLES FINAL

Murgett (Mizzou) defeated Ngounoue 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 (7)

BONUS MATCHES

Manu  defeated Motosono (OU): 6-3, 6-2