🎾 Ngounoue Moves on to Semifinals at ITA Central Regionals
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Kansas tennis junior Malkia Ngounoue advanced to the semifinal round in both singles and doubles, along with her partner junior Sonia Smagina, of the 2020 ITA Central Regional Championship on Saturday afternoon inside Billingsley Tennis Center.
Day two began with doubles, where duo Ngounoue and Smagina won their first match of the tournament in the round of 16. The two juniors defeated fellow Jayhawks Julia Deming and Vasiliki Karvouni in a 6-1 decision. In their second match, the pair followed up with a convincing, 6-0 victory over Alana Wolfberg and Dariya Detkovskaya of Oklahoma State. The two wins moved Ngounoue and Smagina into semifinals action.
Kansas had three competing in the singles round of 16, but only one prevailed, advancing to the semifinals of the singles main draw. Ngounoue took the court first against teammate Tiffany Lagarde. The junior won the match in two sets, 6-2, 6-1. Ngounoue’s last match did not come easy as she battled in a three-set thriller against Arkansas opponent, Indianna Spink. Ngounoue took the opening set 6-1 before dropping the second, 6-7 (3). Set three went to the wire, but Ngounoue found a way, taking the match 1-0 (8).
Sophomore Karvouni was scheduled to play Alana Wolfberg of OSU, but a withdrawal from Wolfberg pushed her through to the quarterfinals of the main draw. Karvouni fell short in the quarterfinals after falling to Bronte Murgett of Missouri, 6-3, 6-2.
Doubles duo Ngounoue and Smagina will be back in action for semifinals play in the main draw. Ngounoue will also be competing in the semifinals to try and secure a spot in the finals singles draw. Semifinals and finals will be played on Sunday at the Billingsley Tennis Center in Fayetteville.
For results and updates, follow @KansasTennis on Twitter.
DOUBLES
ROUND OF 16
🎾 Ngounoue/Smagina defeated Deming/Karvouni 6-1
🎾 Spink/Cross (Arkansas) defeated Manu/Lagarde 6-2
QUARTERFINALS
🎾 Ngounoue/Smagina defeated Wolfberg/Detkovskaya (OSU) 6-0
SINGLES
ROUND OF 16
🎾 Karvouni winner, Wolfberg (OSU) withdrew
🎾 Ngounoue defeated Lagarde 6-2, 6-1
QUARTERFINALS
🎾 Murgett (Mizzou) defeated Karvouni 6-3, 6-2
🎾 Ngounoue defeated Spink (Arkansas) 6-1, 6-7 (3), 1-0 (8)
BOUNUS MATCHES
🎾 Manu defeated I. Corley 6-7 (3), 6-4, 1-0 (8)
🎾 Deming defeated Surapaneni 6-0, 6-3
🎾 Smagina defeated Medvedeva 6-2, 4-6, 1-0 (5)
