CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Kentucky women’s tennis completed a weekend of competition at the Wahoowa Invitational hosted by the University of Virginia.
Four Wildcats, Tess Bucher, Ellie Eades, Lizzy Stevens and Julia Zhu, battled throughout the fall tournament held at the Virginia Tennis Complex at the Boar’s Head Sports Club.
“I think we had a positive weekend,” assistant coach Diego Garavito said. “We were very pleased with our doubles teams and how they are looking.”
Beginning on Friday, the Cats started the invitational with doubles play. The tandem of Eades and Stevens took to Court 3 to challenge Virginia’s Annabelle Xu and Martina Genis Salas. The Cavalier pair came out on top, 7-6 (7). Nearby on Court 5, freshman newcomer Bucher teamed up with Zhu to take on Meggie Navarro and Nicole Kiefer. Kentucky defeated the Virginia duo, 6-0.
On Day Two, Eades and Stevens paired up once again to go head-to-head with James Madison’s Mia Saveljic and Daria Munteanu. The Wildcat duo found success on Court 3 as they defeated their Duke opponents, 6-4. On Court 4, Bucher and Zhu followed suit, defeating Reka Matko and Elena Kraleva, 6-2.
Bucher and Zhu were the only pair to represent the Cats in doubles play on the final day of the tournament. They were victorious, 6-3, versus Anna Nguyen and Yichen Zhao.
”In singles, I believe we are getting better and putting all of the work we have done in training to the test,” stated Garavito. “We are definitely tougher and more disciplined; we are on the right path!”
Zhu took to Court 2 to face Xu (UVA) who she defeated in three sets, 6-7 (6), 7-5, 6-2. She was joined in the winners’ column by Bucher who also won against her Cavelier opponent, Keifer, 6-4, 6-4. Stevens fell to Zara Larke, 2-6, 0-6, on Court 4 while Eades earned the win after her UVA competitor Blanca Pico Navarro retired in the first set. Eades was up 4-0 before Pico Navarro’s retirement.
On the second day of the tournament, Zhu once again proved herself on the court. She was victorious in two sets against Munteanu (JMU), 6-4, 7-6 (8). Eades was defeated in two sets by Sophie Williams, 4-6, 3-6, while Bucher took down Matko, 6-4, 7-5.
Kentucky sophomore Zhu found success as she won her third singles match of the weekend, 6-0, 6-3, against Rachel Krzyzak of Ole Miss. Eades fell Alice Ferlito (Princeton), 6-0, 2-6, 6-10, while Bucher also faced defeat to Princeton’s Eva Elbaz, 6(4)-7, 4-6.
The Wildcats will next set their sights on the 2024 ITA Division I Women’s Ohio Valley Regional Championship. Kentucky will be represented by junior Zoe Hammond, Oct. 10-14, playing in Murfreesboro, Tenn. Big Blue Nation can visit the tournament central by clicking here.
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