Kansas Tennis Has Strong Showing in Sunday Matches
Kansas women’s tennis concluded a split weekend on a positve note with wins in four of five matches at the Little Rock Invitational. The Jayhawks were featured in two singles title matches and captured a consolation title between the Little Rock Invitational and the Oklahoma Invitational.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Kansas women’s tennis had a strong final day at the 2015 Little Rock Invitational as the Jayhawks were victorious in four of five matches on the day of action.
“I believe this weekend was a great step forward for us as a program,” said Kansas head coach Todd Chapman, “To have five underclassman lead the way in both tournaments and play so well, is light years ahead of where we were two years ago as a program. We have to take the positive energy from this weekend and build on it in the weeks to come.”
Freshman Janet Koch battled throughout the B Flight title match, but eventually dropped the match, taking home second place in her first collegiate tennis action. Koch dropped a three-set match in the finals to Oklahoma State’s Kelsey Laurente.
Jayhawk freshman Anastasiya Rychagova captured the A Flight Consolation title by defeating Anki Wind of Memphis, 6-3, 6-4. Rychagova then teamed up with Koch for a doubles victory over Wind and Hanna Sohn of Memphis, 6-3.
Sophomore Summer Collins took home two wins for KU. Collins defeated Arkansas’ Mackenzie Craft, 6-4, 6-3, in the C Flight. She then paired up with senior Maria Jose Cardona for a doubles victory over Nicole Breaux and Flavia Araujo, 6-2.
Kansas will return to the courts Saturday, Oct. 3 when they again split up for the weekend. Some Jayhawks will play in a tournament at Purdue, while others will play in Hilton Head, South Carolina.
Little Rock Invitational Results
Singles
B Flight Finals
Kelsey Laurente (OSU def. Janet Koch (KU), 6-0, 6-7, 6-3
A Flight Consolation Finals
Anastasiya Rychagova (KU) def. Anki Wind (Memphis), 6-3, 6-4
C Flight Third Place
Summer Collins (KU) def. Mackenzie Craft (Arkansas), 6-4, 6-3
Doubles
Rychagova/Koch (KU) def. Wind/Sohn (Memphis), 6-3
Cardona/Collins (KU def. Beaux/Araujo (Arkansas), 6-2
NORMAN, Okla. – Kansas freshman Nina Khmelnitckaia came up short in her title bid at the 2015 Oklahoma Invitational. The Moscow, Russia, native, was appearing in her first collegiate tournament, which was hosted by the University of Oklahoma at the Headington Family Tennis Center.
Khmelnitckaia was topped, 6-2, 6-4, by Texas Tech’s Alex Valenstein in the Sooner Draw finals. Sophomore Smith Hinton was edged Sunday afternoon as she fell to Tulsa’s Marcelina Cichon, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the Boomer Draw fifth place match.
Oklahoma Invitational
Singles
Sooner Draw Finals
Alex Valenstein (TTU) def. Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU), 6-2, 6-3
Boomer Draw Fifth Place
Marcelina Cichon (TU) def. Smith Hinton (KU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
