Jayhawks win eight matches on the first day of ITA Regionals
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s tennis team earned eight wins on the first of the ITA Central Regional Championships presented by Oracle at the Jayhawk Tennis Center in Lawrence, Kansas.
“I thought we got off to a great start as a team,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “We have three of our four doubles teams advancing to the second round of the main draw and five of our seven singles players advancing to the second round of the main draw. As a team, we put ourselves in a good position for the rest of the tournament.”
The No. 5-seeded doubles team of Nina Khmelnitckaia and Anastasia Rychagova blanked North Dakota’a Preethi Kasilingam and Isa Sullivan, 8-0. Khmelnitckaia topped Shelby King of Arkansas State, 6-1, 6-2, later in singles.
Tatiana Nikolaeva and Despoina Vogasari defeated Shelby King and Sabina Jeresic of Arkansas State, 8-3. Vogasari downed North Dakota’s Preethi Kasilingam, 6-1, 6-1. Nikolaeva topped Sandra Maletin of Bradley, 7-5, 6-2.
Janet Koch and Maria Toran Ribes defeated Michelle Lo and Janelle Wilson of Omaha, 8-4. No. 16 seeded Koch topped Arkansas State’s Berta Masip, 6-0, 6-4. Toran Ribes came out on top against Barbara Kollarova of South Dakota, 6-3, 6-3.
“As a team we were very professional about things and how we responded to some of the adversity we did have,” said Chapman. “Tomorrow is going to be a tough day with hopefully two rounds of singles for each girl. The further you advance in the tournament, the tougher opponent you play and we’re going to have some challenges on our hands tomorrow and I’m excited to see how we respond to that.”
Carla Pons Martorell and Amber Policare fell to Wichita State’s Ting-Ya Hsu and Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva, 8-4. Pons Martorell dropped her match against Claire Reifes of Nebraska, 6-4, 7-5. Policare rallied, but was not able to overcome Iowa’s Montana Crawford and lost her match, 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-5.
“One of the things we focus on is how we approach adversity and how we move forward through that,” said Chapman. “Tomorrow will be really telling as far as where we are as a team, what we’re doing well and the areas we need to improve on, which is fantastic.”
Doubles will begin at 9 a.m., Friday followed by main draw and consolation singles.
Day 1 Singles Results
Khmelnitckaia (KU) def. King (Ark. St.) 6-1, 6-2
Koch (KU) def. Masip (Ark. St.) 6-0, 6-4
Vogasari (KU) def. Kasilingam (UND) 6-1, 6-1
Reifes (NU) def. Pons Martorell (KU) 6-4, 7-5
Nikolaeva (KU) def. Maletin (BU) 7-5, 6-2
Crawford (IU) def. Policare (KU) 7-6 (7-3), 4-6, 7-5
Toran Ribes (KU) def. Kollarova (USD) 6-3, 6-3
Day 1 Doubles Results
Khmelnitckaia/Rychagova (KU) def. Kasilingam/Sullivan (UND) 8-0
Nikolaeva/Vogasari (KU) def. King/Jeresic (Ark. St.) 8-3
Koch/Toran Ribes (KU) def. Lo/Wilson (UNO) 8-4
Jsu/Saidhujaeva (WSU) def. Martorell/Policare (KU) 8-4
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