COLOMBIA, SC – Despite tying the double game 2-2, the 21st women’s tennis team at the University of Kentucky fell to South Carolina 4-2 in Columbia, South Carolina, on Saturday afternoon. The double match marked the second match in a stretch of four games, with the UK setting a record of 13-6, including a 5-6 mark at the Southeast Conference and a 2-3 mark on the road.
The Wildcats dropped out of the doubles point only for the third time this season, losing matches on the second and third courts. In paragraph 2, Carla Girbau and Elizabeth Stevens fell to Silvia Chinellato and Emma Shelton in the 6-2 decision. So, both paragraphs 1 and 3 forced a simultaneous tiebreaker, as Lesedi Jacobs and Anastasia Tkachenko fell to Ana Cruz and Allie Gretjowski in a 7-6 (5) decision.
Akvile Paražinskaite and Fiona Arrese, the eighth pair in the country, recorded an unfinished game, 6-6, in the first court.
South Carolina gained momentum in the singles competition, winning the first match and gaining a 2-0 advantage. Gamecocks’ Silvia Chinellato defeated Carla Gibau 6-4 6-4 on the fourth court.
Arrese broke the seal for Cats when the freshman passed Allie Gretkowski in a 6-4, 7-5 decision on the fifth court. Then, No. 47 Paražinskaite recovered from behind to tie the 2-2 double match, after the graduate student defeated No. 39 Mia Horvit in a 2-6, 6-2, 6-1 decision in the first court. He scored the fifth ranked opponent that Paražinskaite defeated, advancing to 15-4 on the first court this season, including 5-3 against qualified opponents.
However, the Gamecocks would win two consecutive matches on courts 2 and 3 to close the game in their favor, despite Kentucky’s efforts to recover. In the second court, No. 46 Megan Davies defeated Carlota Molina, 3-6, 6-2, 6-3. Then, on the third court, No. 108 Emma Shelton defeated No. 71 Jacobs, 7-6, 4-6, 6-0.
Kentucky will continue its stretch of road, concluding the regular season in the State of Mississippi and Ole Miss on Thursday, April 8 and Saturday, April 10, respectively.
No. 21 Kentucky 2, South Carolina 4
April 3, 2021
Carolina Tennis Center
Columbia, SC
Singles competition
Akvile Parazinskaite (# 47) def. Mia Horvit (# 39) 2-6, 6-2, 6-1
Megan Davies (# 46) won. Carlota Molina 6-3, 2-6, 6-3
Emma Shelton (# 108) won. Lesedi Jacobs (# 71) 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-0
Silvia Chinellato won. Carla Girbau 6-4, 6-4
Fiona Arrese def. Allie Gretkowski 6-4, 7-5
Ana Cruz vs. Maialen Morante 5-7, 6-1, 5-0, unfinished
Doubles competition
Fiona Arrese / Akvile Parazinskaite (# 8) vs. Megan Davies / Mia Horvit (# 16) 6-6, unfinished
Silvia Chinellato / Emma Shelton won. Carla Girbau / Elizabeth Stevens 6-2
Ana Cruz / Allie Gretkowski won. Lesedi Jacobs / Anastasia Tkachenko 7-6 (5)
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