Five Jayhawks earn wins on day one of Rice Invitational
HOUSTON – Kansas junior Janet Koch and sophomore Maria Toran Ribes both earned a pair of wins Friday at the Rice Invitational in Houston, Texas at the George R. Brown Tennis Center.
Starting the day off with doubles and pairing up for the first time, Koch and Toran Ribes defeated Alabama’s Andie Daniell and Luca Fabian, 6-3, in the Flight 1 Doubles bracket. Also playing in Flight 1 in singles, Koch topped Micaela Haet of Rice, 6-4, 6-2. Toran Ribes, who is playing in Flight 2 Singles, rallied in a three-set match over Oklahoma’s Malene Stripp, 4-6, 6-1, 6-2.
“I thought we had a solid first day of competition,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “Janet and Maria had a really good day in doubles and singles (Friday) and that was good to see.”
In her first collegiate match, freshman Carla Pons Martorell claimed her first win against Kylee Kato of UT-San Antonio, 6-2, 6-1, in Flight 7 Singles. Playing Flight 3 Doubles, the duo of sophomore Tatiana Nikolaeva and redshirt freshman Amber Policare earned their first win of the season after topping Ana Roman Dominguez and Evelyne Tiron, 6-4.
“We started off well in doubles and looked solid,” said Chapman. “In singles we had several good performances. Carla had a nice outing with it being her first college match.”
Nikolaeva, who is playing in Flight 3 Singles, was not able to overcome Savannah Durkin of Rice and fell, 6-3, 6-4. In Flight 6 Singles, Policare dropped her match to Sam Houston State’s Sahaja Yamalapalli, 6-1, 6-0.
Doubles play begins at 9 a.m., CT Saturday and will be followed by singles.
Day 1 Results
Flight 1 Singles
Janet Koch (KU) def. Michaela Haet (RU) 6-4, 6-2
Flight 2 Singles
Maria Toran Ribes (KU) def. Malene Stripp (OU) 4-6, 6-1, 6-2
Flight 3 Singles
Savannah Durkin (RU) def. Tatiana Nikolaeva (KU) 6-3, 6-4
Flight 6 Singles
Sahaja Yamalapalli (SHSU) def. Amber Policare (KU) 6-1, 6-0
Flight 7 Singles
Carla Pons Martorell (KU) def. Kylee Kato (UTSA) 6-2, 6-1
Flight 1 Doubles
Koch/Toran Ribes (KU) def. Daniell/Fabian (UA) 6-3
Flight 3 Doubles
Nikolaeva/Policare (KU) def. Roman/Tiron (USF) 6-4
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