Lady Razorbacks charge in semifinals at Hurricane Invitational

TULSA, Okla. – Juniors Ela Kaluder and Aurelija Miseviciute started the first round of the Tulsa Hurricane Invitational in excellent fashion for the University of Arkansas as the Lady Razorbacks will compete in eight semifinal matches tomorrow. Head tennis coach Michael Hegarty took quick notice of his team’s hot play. “We were executing on almost every cylinder,” Hegarty said.However, he realizes this tournament still has a lot of action left. “We’re thrilled to have swept doubles, and to have eight semifinal matches to play tomorrow, but just like every other tournament the second and third days will be the key.” Play resumes on Saturday morning at the Tulsa courts at 10 a.m. with doubles. Kaluder and Miseviciute blasted Viviana Yrureta and Natasha Viera of Kansas State, 8-3 in the Red Draw to begin a clean sweep of doubles for the Lady’Backs. Also in the Red Draw, was the tandem of senior Maryori Franco and junior Nanar Airapetian. The duo entered the fall season ranked 25th nationally, and kept the wheels rolling with an 8-2 lashing of Kasas State’s Katerina Kudlackova and Antea Huljev.

The results were no different for the final doubles pair, senior Audrey Bordeleau and sophomore Melissa Hoffmeister, as they defeated Emily Arkell and Tayler Pippen of Oral Roberts, 9-7 in the Black Draw. With three doubles matches in the bag, the Lady’Backs headed to singles action. In the Blue Draw was Kaluder who defeated Kudlackova, 6-1, 6-0, and Airapetian who dropped her match to Thalia Barriga of Tulsa, 6-4, 7-5. In the Gold Draw, Miseviciute topped J. Karaitina from Oklahoma State, 6-3, 6-4, while Franco made quick work of Huljev of Kansas State, 6-0, 6-4. The White Draw developed into two wins for the Lady’Backs as Bordeleau topped Gabbe of Oklahoma State,7-6, 6-0, and freshman Delia Damaschin defeated Oral Roberts’s Tayler Pippen, 6-0, 6-1. The lone player in the Black Draw was Hoffmeister who was topped by Rebecca Row of host Tulsa, 6-0, 7-6 (3).