Kansas hosts ITA Central Regional Championship
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The University of Kansas and its women’s tennis team will play host to players from 27 teams in the central region for the ITA Central Regional Championship presented by Oracle from October 19 to 23 at the Jayhawk Tennis Center and Sports Pavilion Lawrence in Lawrence, Kansas.
The Jayhawks will have seven players competing in singles, with senior transfer Despoina Vogasari, juniors Nina Khmelnitckaia and Janet Koch and sophomore Maria Toran Ribes being seeded in the top-32. Kansas will have four doubles teams, three of which are seeded in the top-16.
“For the group that went to Rice and the group that went to the All-American, this is their first opportunity to play since then in a competitive tournament,” said head coach Todd Chapman. “There were things that we came back and worked on from both of those events. We had some positive momentum in both of those events. We’re looking to build upon that, but also continue the development of our players.”
At the Rice Invitational, Koch was named champion of Flight 1 Singles, while Toran Ribes was the runner-up in Flight 2. Playing at the ITA Women’s All-American, junior Anastasia Rychagova advanced to the main draw after defeating three-consecutive opponents in the qualifying bracket. Rychagova fell to the eventual champion in the first round but went on to win four-straight matches to earn the title of main draw consolation champion.
Khmelnitckaia and Rychagova teamed up for doubles at the ITA Women’s All-American in the qualifying bracket where they fell one match short of advancing to the main draw.
“We always look at a tournament in the fall as an opportunity to grow and learn and see what we need to get better at,” said Chapman. “This tournament is definitely going to give our players the opportunity to see what’s working well, but also what we need to get better at for the next event.”
The event is free to the public and matches will be played throughout day. Weather permitting, matches will be played on the outdoor courts at Sports Pavilion Lawrence and the Jayhawk Tennis Center. If not, matches will be played indoors at the Jayhawks Tennis Center.
“We’re truly excited to have the opportunity to host the ITA Central Regional Championship this weekend,” said Chapman. “It’s a testament to the facility that has been built here and the commitment by our athletic department to invest in women’s tennis. We’ve worked really hard to set things up and hope to put on a great event.”
Matches will kick-off with doubles at 9 a.m., Thursday at both the Jayhawk Tennis Center and Sports Pavilion Lawrence.
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