Cardona, Ludueña Lead Jayhawks Into Day Two of ITA Regionals

ITA Central Regionals | Day Two Results
Oct. 18, 2013
Doubles Draw
First Round of Doubles:
Dylan Windom and Paulina Los (KU) def. Simona Horiskyan and Cassidy Crawford (Central Arkansas) 8-6
Maria Jose Cardona and Maria Belen Ludueña (KU) def. Madison Cook and Brooke Urzendowski (St. Louis) 8-1
Second Round of Doubles:
Karyn Guttormsen and Maria Alvarez (Oklahoma State) def. Dylan Windom and Paulina Los (KU)  8-2
Maria Jose Cardona and Maria Belen Ludueña (KU) def. Brittany Brewster and Lisa Andersson (Nebraska) 8-0
Round of 16:
Hermon Brhane and Zita Engbroks (Oklahoma) def. Maria Jose Cardona and Maria Belen Ludueña (KU) 8-4

NORMAN, Okla. Led by junior Maria Belen Ludueña and sophomore Maria Jose Cardona, the Kansas women’s tennis team captured three wins as they took to the courts at the ITA Regional Championships Friday at the Headington Family Tennis Center.

With the singles matches cancelled due to rain showers, the championship was limited to the tennis center’s indoor courts and was only able to accommodate doubles play.

The Jayhawks continued their momentum from the previous day, with both doubles teams winning their first match in the first round. Seniors Dylan Windom and Paulina Los topped Central Arkansas’ Simona Horriskyan and Cassidy Crawford, 8-6. Cardona and Ludueña started their day with a win over Madison Cook and Brooke Urzendowski of St. Louis (8-1).

In the next round, Cardona and Luduena swiftly defeated Brittany Brewster and Lisa Andersson of Nebraska, 8-0. Windom and Los fell to Karyn Guttormsen and Maria Alvarez of Oklahoma State, 8-2.

“Cardona and Ludueña had a very good day at doubles,” said Head Coach Todd Chapman. “The first two matches they lost one game and I felt like they were focused and ready to play. Part of what I talked about yesterday was we were looking for style of play we’re trying to play, and I felt like they really did that well.”

In the round of 16, Cardona and Ludueña narrowly missed the quarterfinals, falling to Hermon Brhane and Zita Engbroks of Oklahoma, 8-4.

“I felt like we didn’t play as well,” said Chapman of  Cardona and Ludueña’s loss. “Part of that had to do with our opponents. I thought they played really hard, but it was just one of those types of things where it was an 8-4 score but the match was much closer than the score.”

The Regionals will continue play Saturday, Oct. 19 with the main singles draw along with an opportunity for those who lost in consolations to play in matches outside of the tournament. Ludueña and Cardona will begin their singles play in the main draw on Saturday at 9 a.m. Cardona begins in the first round against Wichita State’s Julia Schiller and Ludueña will challenge Abbi Melrose of Oklahoma.

“I think they can do well,” said Chapman. “It just boils down to whether they believe they can do well. They’re definitely both talented enough to make a run in this tournament and how far they can go just depends on their mentality as far as the style of play we play and how when things aren’t going well- how we respond to that. If we play tough and really focus on the things that we can control I think they can have a great tournament.”

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