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KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – The Kentucky women’s tennis squad (8-2, 0-1 SEC) fell during their SEC opener on the road in Knoxville against the Volunteers, 4-0. With the rest of conference play to come, the Wildcats use this to highlight strong fights by Donna Le Roux, Julia Zhu, and Asuncion Jadue on their respective singles courts.
In doubles play the Cats were defeated, with the Vols gaining their first team point. After a fight back from first singles pair of senior Zoe Hammond and junior Zhu, it was a match left unfinished 3-5 against No. 21 Catherine Aulia and Leyla Britez Risso of Tennessee. On court two, freshman Reese Sager and sophomore Jadue were defeated by Tennessee’s Vanesa Suarez and Francesca Mattioli 6-3. To secure the point, Maeve Thornton and Saray Yli-Piipari defeated the Kentucky pairing of Marina Fuduric and Elena Molla by a score of 6-2.
Trailing 1-0 heading into singles, the Wildcats got off to a slower start. Sager dropped her match in straight sets to No. 61 C. Aulia 6-3, 6-0. On court four, Jadue dropped the first set 6-0, but bounced back and brought some energy for the Cats in her second set. Court one singles with Zhu was a battle, with the junior testing Tennessee’s Suarez in a tough tiebreaker first set, 7-6(5). The freshman Donna Le Roux was great on court six, being the only Wildcat to win the first set and taking it 7-5.
Down 2-0, the Volunteers extended the lead when Molla was defeated by Yli-Piipari 6-2, 6-2. On court two, No. 94 Hammond dropped the first set 6-0, battling, but ultimately dropping the second 6-3 to No. 25 Risso as the volunteers clinched the match.
Kentucky (8-2, 0-1 SEC) concludes their first weekend of conference play, and looks ahead to the many tests that are to come with such a strong conference this season.
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Doubles Results:
Hammond/Zhu (UK) vs C. Aulia/Britez Risso (UT) 3-5 (unfinished)
Suarez/Mattioli (UT) def. Jadue/Sager (UK) 6-3
Thornton/Yli-Piipari (UT) def. Molla/Fuduric (UK) 6-2
Order of finish: 3,2
Singles Results:
Zhu (UK) vs. Suarez (UT) 6-7(5), unfinished
Risso (UT) def. Hammond (UK) 6-0, 6-3
C. Aulia (UT) def. Sager (UK) 6-3, 6-0
Jadue (UK) vs. Mattioli (UT), 0-6, 5-4, unfinished
Tli-Piipari (UT) def. Molla (UK), 6-2, 6-2
Le Roux (UK) vs. A. Aulia (UT), 7-5, 2-2, unfinished
Order of finish: 3, 5, 2
