Two Jayhawks to Play in Title Matches Sunday

Kansas women’s tennis has two players vying for singles titles on Sunday after advancing through their draws Saturday. Freshmen Janet Koch will play for the B Flight championship at the Little Rock Invitational, while Nina Khmelnitckaia will go for the Boomer Draw singles title at the Oklahoma Invitational. 

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Freshmen Anastasiya Rychagova and Janet Koch continued to impress in their collegiate debuts as the duo led Kansas women’s tennis in Saturday’s action at the Little Rock Invitational in Little Rock, Arkansas. Rych
 
Rychagova and Koch each notched wins in singles play and teamed up for a win in doubles action. Rychagova knocked off Arkansas’ Sasha Shkorupeieva, 6-2, 6-3 and Koch bested Arkansas’ Nicole Breax, 6-3, 6-2. The pair then faced a doubles tandem of Razorbacks, defeating Olaya and Jennings, 6-2.

Koch’s win moves her into the B Flight singles title match Sunday morning where she will take on Oklahoma State’s Kelsey Laurente. Rychagova’s win moves her into the consolation finals. 
 
“This being so early in the fall for our team it has been great seeing them all compete,” said Kansas assistant coach Caroline Lilley, who accompanied the Jayhawks to Little Rock. “We have a lot to continue to work on, but the progress we have made already is incredibly encouraging for the spring. The more matches we can play the tougher we become as a team and as individual players. We are excited to keep up our aggressive mindset coupled with consistent pressure tomorrow in our final day here in Little Rock.”
 
Sophomore Summer Collins competed in singles play Saturday in Little Rock, falling to Memphis’ Marta Morga, 6-4, 6-3. Collins and fellow Jayhawk, senior Maria Jose Cardona, then dropped a doubles match to Morga and Berres of Memphis, 7-6 (5).
  
Little Rock Invitational Results
Singles
B Flight

Janet Koch (KU) def. Nicole Breaux (Arkansas), 6-3, 6-2
Consolation
Anastasiya Rychagova (KU) def. Sasha Shkorupeieva (Arkansas), 6-2, 6-3
Marta Morga (Memphis) defeated Summer Collins (KU), 6-4, 6-3
 
Doubles
Rychagova/Koch (KU) def. Olaya/Jennings (Arkansas), 6-2
Berres/Morga (Memphis) def. Cardona/Collins (KU), 7-6 (5)
 
 
 
NORMAN, Okla. – Kansas freshman Nina Khmelnitckaia has been impressive in her collegiate debut tournament as the Moscow, Russia native picked up two more singles wins Saturday at the Oklahoma Invitational. Khmelnitckaia moved into Sunday’s finals with her victories at the Headington Family Tennis Center.
 
“I thought there were a lot of positives that came out of today,” said Kansas head coach Todd Chapman. “Nina picked up two really good wins today.”
 
Khmelnitckaia advanced to the singles Sooner Draw finals with a quarterfinal-victory over Carla Tur Mari of Oklahoma State, 6-3, 6-1. She then went on to defeat North Texas’ Anastasiya Shestakova, 6-3, 0-6, 6-2. Khmelnitckaia will take on Alex Valenstein of Texas Tech in Sunday’s title match.
 
Sophomore Smith Hinton was knocked off by Texas Tech’s Gabriela Talaba, 6-4, 6-2 in the Boomer Draw singles quarterfinals, but came back to pick up a win in the consolation over North Texas’ Tamuna Kutubidze, 6-1, 6-2. Hinton will take on Marcelina Cichon of Tulsa in tomorrow’s fifth place match of the Boomer Draw.  
 
“Smith lost to the best player at the tournament in my opinion in a competitive match,” said Chapman. “I was proud that she came back and picked up a win against a good player from North Texas.”
 
Action will resume at the Oklahoma Invitational Sunday morning at 9 a.m.
 
Oklahoma Invitational
Singles
Boomer Draw
Gabriela Talaba (TTU) def. Smith Hinton (KU) 6-4, 6-2
 
Sooner Draw
Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) def. Carla Tur Mari (OSU) 6-3, 6-1