Four advance in ITA event
FAYETTEVILLE – Four Arkansas Razorbacks advanced into the quarterfinals of the USTA/ITA Central Regional Championship on Friday, the second day of the tournament being hosted on campus.
Anouk Tigu and Kelsey Sundaram both advanced with two singles victories while both also advanced in doubles with different partners.
Tigu, the overall No. 1 seed in the tournament which advances the singles and doubles winners to next month’s indoor national championship in New York, posted a 7-6 (1), 6-4 win over Missouri’s Katarina Morozova in the first round. She advanced to the quarterfinals with a 6-0, 7-5 win over Oklahoma State’s Sasha Belova in the second round.
Sundaram had a 6-1, 6-1 victory over Kansas’ Monica Pezzotti and earned a spot in the quarterfinals with a 6-1, 3-6, 6-0 victory over Missouri’s Kaitlyn Ritchie.
In addition to singles, Tigu advanced in doubles with partner Claudine Paulson and Sundaram advanced with partner Kate Lukomskaya.
"It’s great to have four different players in the main draw on Saturday (doubles and singles)," head coach Michael Hegarty said. "We really got better as a steam today. I’m excited to be getting closer to a chance at the championship."
Paulson rallied for a 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (4) win over Missouri’s Mallory Weber to advance to the second round against Tulsa’s Alex Kichovtkin, where she dropped a 6-4, 7-6(6) decision.
Lukomskaya defeated Iowa’s Alexis Door, 6-0, 6-2, before losing to Nebraska’s Stephanie Weinstein, 5-7, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (2).
Four Razorbacks fell in the first round. Jade Frampton lost 7-6(4), 6-4 to Iowa’s Sonja Molnar. Stephanie Roy lost to Nataliya Shatkovskaya of Oklahoma State, 6-3, 6-3. Emily Carbone dropped a 7-6(4), 6-4 match to Oklahoma’s Alice Radu. Wichita State’s Lutifiana Budiharto topped Valentina Starkova, 1-6, 6-2, 6-2.
In doubles, Tigu and Paulson beat Emily Crowe and Ioana Teu of Arkansas State, 8-3. Lukomskaya and Sundaram advanced with an 8-2 win, and Starkova and Frampton beat Missouri’s Annemijn Koenen and Rachel Stuhlman, 8-4, before falling in the second round.
Play continues on Saturday at 8:30 a.m. in the Dills Indoor Tennis Center and run through Monday.
USTA/ITA Central Regional TournamentFayettevilleArkansas’ Results (Friday):Singles:Anouk Tigu (Ark) def. Katarina Morozova (Kansas) 7-6(1), 6-4Anouk Tigu (Ark) def. Sasha Belova (Oklahoma St) 6-0, 7-5Claudine Paulson (Ark) def. Mallory Weber (Missouri) 6-3, 6-7(4), 7-6(4)Alex Kichovtkin (Tulsa) def. Claudine Paulson (Ark) 6-4, 7-6(6) Sonja Molnar (Iowa) def. Jade Frampton (Ark) 7-6(4), 6-4Kelsey Sundaram (Ark) def. Monica Pezzotti (Kansas) 6-1, 6-1Kelsey Sundaram (Ark) def. Kaitlyn Ritchie (Missouri) 6-1, 3-6, 6-0Kate Lukomskaya (Ark) def. Alexis Dorr (Iowa) 6-0, 6-2Stephanie Weinstein (Neb) def. Kate Lukomskaya (Ark) 5-7, 7-6(4), 7-6(2) Nataliya Shatkovskaya (Oklahoma St.) def. Stephanie Roy (Ark) 6-3, 6-3Alice Radu (Oklahoma) def. Emily Carbone (Ark) 7-6(4), 6-4Lutifiana Budiharto (Wichita St.) def. Valentina Starkova (Ark) 1-6, 6-2, 6-2
Doubles:Lukomskaya/Sundaram (Ark) def. Chuda/Huljef (Kansas St.) 8-2Starkova/Frampton (Ark) def. Koenen/Stuhlman (Missouri) 8-4Molnar/Poggensei-Wei (Iowa) def. Starkova/Frampton (Ark) 8-4Paulson/Tigu (Ark) def. Crowe/Teu (Arkansas St.) 8-3
Arkansas’ Results (Thursday):Singles:Valentina Starkova (Ark) def. Anastacia Simons (SIU), 6-1, 6-2Valentina Starkova (Ark) def. Jenny Nalepa (SLU), 6-2, 7-6 (5)Jade Frampton (Ark) def. Earlynn Lauer (Dep) 6-2, 6-0Claudine Paulson (Ark) def. Caitlin McKenna (SLU) 6-1, 6-2
