Doubles highlight Jayhawks’ second day at Tiger Fall Classic
BATON ROUGE, La. – All three Kansas doubles teams earned a victory Saturday at the Tiger Fall Classic hosted at the LSU Tennis Complex.
Starting the day with singles against Princeton, Nina Khmelnitckaia and Tatiana Nikolaeva defeated Gaby Pollner and Katrine Steffensen, 6-3. The duo of Janet Koch and Maria Toran Ribes topped Sara Goodwin and Clare McKee, 6-3. Amber Policare and Carla Pons Martorell dropped their match to Catalina Vives and Nathalie Rodilosso, 6-3.
“(Saturday) was not our best day,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “We put ourselves in some really nice positions, but we didn’t play as tough and gritty as we needed to in those situations. Our goal is to respond and end the fall season on a positive note (Sunday).”
Competing against host LSU in the second round of doubles, Policare and Martorell bounced back to defeat Jessica Golovin and Elizabeth Hotard, 6-4. Koch and Toran Ribes took Kennan Johnson and Eden Richardson to a tiebreaker, but ultimately fell, 7-6 (7-4). Khmelnitckaia and Nikolaeva lost their second match, 6-4, to Ryann Foster and Elyse Lavender.
In singles, the Jayhawks were upended by Georgia Tech, losing all five matches. Khmelnitckaia dropped her match, 6-1, 6-4, against Johnnise Renaud. Koch played three sets with Ida Jarlskog, but fell, 2-6, 6-3, 6-2. Toran Ribes lost to Victoria Flores on a pair of 6-4 sets. Nikolaeva fell, 6-2, 6-3, to Nami Ostuka. Martorell also dropped her match in identical 6-4 sets to Nadia Gizdova.
KU will play Princeton in the final round of singles beginning Sunday at 9 a.m., CT.
Day 2 Results
Doubles
Khmelnitckaia/Nikolaeva (KU) def. Pollner/Steffensen (PU) 6-3
Koch/Ribes (KU) def. Goodwin/McKee (PU) 6-3
Vives/Rodilosso (PU) def. Policare/Martorell (KU) 6-3
Ryann Foster/Elyse Lavender (LSU) def. Khmelnitckaia/Nikolaeva (KU) 6-4
Kennan Johnson/Eden Richardson (LSU) def. Koch/Toran Ribes (KU) 7-6 (7-4)
Policare/Martorell (KU) def. Jessica Golovin/Elizabeth Hotard (LSU) 6-4
Singles
Renaud (GT) def. Khmelnitckaia (KU) 6-1, 6-4
Jarlskog (GT) def. Koch (KU) 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
Flores (GT) def. Toran Ribes (KU) 6-4, 6-4
Otsuka (GT) def. Nikolaeva (KU) 6-2, 6-3
Gizdova (GT) def. Martorell (KU) 6-4, 6-4
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