The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
University of Texas
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#16 Kansas
No. 18 Women’s Tennis defeats No. 16 Kansas, 4-3
03.24.2019 | Women's Tennis
Bianca Turati provides the clinching point with a three-set win against No. 23 Anastasia Rychagova at first singles.
AUSTIN, Texas — The No. 18 University of Texas women's tennis team recorded a hard-fought 4-3 victory against No. 16 Kansas on Sunday afternoon at the Texas Tennis Center. With the match tied at 3-3, junior All-American Bianca Turati earned the decisive point with a 6-0, 3-6, 6-1 win at first singles against No. 23 Anastasia Rychagova.
The Longhorns (9-3, 2-0 Big 12) improved to 30-1 in the all-time series against Kansas. The Jayhawks fell to 11-4 overall, 2-2 Big 12.
Kansas grabbed an early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point. KU's tandem of Maria Toran Ribes and Malkia Ngounoue registered a 6-0 victory against UT's sophomore tandem of Fernanda Labraña and Bojana Markovic at the No. 3 line.
The Jayhawks clinched the doubles point when the No. 5-ranked duo of Janet Koch and Nina Khmelnitckaia rallied for a 6-3 win against junior Petra Granic and freshman Tijana Spasojevic at the No. 1 spot. Koch and Khmelnitckaia trailed 3-2 but won four consecutive games to close out the victory. UT junior twin sisters Anna and Bianca Turati held a 5-2 lead against KU's No. 61-ranked tandem of Anastasia Rychagova and Sonia Smagina at second doubles when the point was decided.
No. 52 Granic improved to 6-0 this spring in dual-match singles play and evened the match with a 6-1, 6-3 win victory against Ploburng Plipuech at third singles. Senior Katie Poluta moved to 7-1 in dual-match singles this spring and gave the Longhorns a 2-1 lead after a 6-1, 7-5 win against Toran Ribes at the No. 6 line.
No. 42 Anna Turati won her eighth consecutive singles match and increased UT's lead to 3-1 with an impressive 6-3, 6-4 victory against No. 101 Janet Koch at second singles. The Jayhawks then fought back to tie the match at 3-3 behind a pair of three-set wins. Khmelnitckaia defeated No. 105 Markovic by a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 score at the No. 4 spot, before Smagina topped Labraña (6-2, 3-6, 6-1) at fifth singles.
In the decisive match on court one, No. 75 Bianca Turati swept the opening set and held a 3-0 advantage in the second frame. Rychagova rallied to win six consecutive games to force a third set. In the final frame, Turati jumped out to a 2-1 lead. Rychagova pulled within 2-1, but Turati responded by winning four straight games to close out the victory.
The Longhorns continue Big 12 Conference play at No. 30 Oklahoma on Friday, March 29. First serve for the Texas-OU match is set for 4 p.m. Central in Norman.
#18 Texas 4, #16 Kansas 3
Singles – Order of finish (3-6-2-4-5-1)
- #75 Bianca Turati (UT) def. #23 Anastasia Rychagova (KU), 6-0, 3-6, 6-1
- #42 Anna Turati (UT) def. #101 Janet Koch (KU), 6-3, 6-4
- #52 Petra Granic (UT) def. Plobrung Plipuech (KU), 6-1, 6-3
- Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) def. #105 Bojana Markovic (UT), 6-4, 2-6, 6-2
- Sonia Smagina (KU) def. Fernanda Labraña (UT), 6-2, 3-6, 6-1
- Katie Poluta (UT) def. Maria Toran Ribes (KU), 6-1, 7-5
Doubles – Order of finish (3-1)
- #5 Janet Koch/Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) def. Petra Granic/Tijana Spasojevic (UT), 6-3
- Anna Turati/Bianca Turati (UT) vs. #61 Anastasia Rychagova/Sonia Smagina (KU), 5-2 (unfinished)
- Maria Toran Ribes/Malkia Ngounoue (KU) def. Fernanda Labraña/Bojana Markovic (UT), 6-0
Players Mentioned
