The No. 11 Kentucky women’s tennis team improved its spotless home record to 8-0 on Friday evening, downing No. 18 Arkansas 4-2 inside the Boone Tennis Center. With the win, the Wildcats advance to 14-3 overall and 6-2 in Southeastern Conference action, while the Razorbacks drop to 14-6, 4-4 in league play.
“Today we played a high level match,” said head coach Carlos Dradá. “Arkansas is a highly energetic, well coached team and we are grateful to get this win. I am proud of our players’ consistent energy throughout the match.”
The Wildcats took the early lead with a pair of quick doubles wins. UK’s fourth-ranked duo of Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi got things going with a swift 6-1 victory over No. 38 Shannon Hudson/Giulia Pairone. Kentucky clinched the point as Morgan Chumney and Akvilė Paražinskaitė hammered out a matching 6-1 triumph.
It was a slower start for Kentucky in singles play as Arkansas picked up back-to-back wins to take a 2-1 lead. Luckily, losing the lead was all the fire the Wildcats needed to battle their way through the next three matches and clinch the match.
To knot the score at two, No. 19 Sutjiadi clawed her way through three sets to take down 48th-ranked Hudson. The win marked her third ranked singles win of the dual season. Adachi followed suit, rallying back from a first-set deficit to overcome Mia Jurasic, 5-7, 6-2, 6-2.
For the second straight match, it was sophomore Justina Mikulskytė in No. 5 singles to seal the team triumph for UK. Mikulskytė powered through to take the match in straight sets. As play ceased, Chumney had just won her first set 7-5 over Agne Cepelyte on court six.
The Wildcats will be back in action at the Boone Tennis Complex at noon on Sunday as they take on the Missouri Tigers.
Agate
#11 Kentucky 4, #18 Arkansas 2
Boone Tennis Center – Lexington, Ky.
March 31, 2017
Singles competition (Order of Finish: 2-4-1-3-5)
1 – #19 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) def. #48 Shannon Hudson (AR), 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
2 – #115 Ana Oparenovic (AR) def. #125 Akvilė Paražinskaitė (UK), 6-3, 6-4
3 – Mami Adachi (UK) def. Mia Jurasic (AR), 5-7, 6-2, 6-2
4 – Giulia Pairone (AR) def. Emily Fanning (UK), 1-6, 6-2, 6-1
5 – Justina Mikulskytė (UK) def. Natsuho Arakawa (AR), 6-3, 6-2
6 – Morgan Chumney (UK) vs. Agne Cepelyte (AR), 7-5, unfinished
Doubles competition (Order of Finish: 1-2)
1 – #4 Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) def. #38 Shannon Hudson/Giulia Pairone (AR), 6-1
2 – Morgan Chumney/Akvilė Paražinskaitė (UK) def. Ana Oparenovic/Mia Jurasic (AR), 6-1
3 – Justina Mikulskytė/Emily Fanning (UK) vs. Natsuho Arakawa/Léolia Jeanjean (AR), 3-4, unfinished
For the latest on the Kentucky women’s tennis program, follow @UKWomensTennis on Twitter and Instagram, on Facebook at Facebook.com/UKWomensTennis and on the web at UKathletics.com.
‑ GO CATS –
For more information contact:
Karlie Kinneer (karlie.kinneer@uky.edu)
Karlie Kinneer
Media Relations Assistant
