Lady'Backs near perfect in main draw singles
FAYETTEVILLE – The University of Arkansas women’s tennis team continued strong play Thursday at the ITA Central Regional Tournament in Salt Lake City by advancing five of six players to second round singles.
The Lady Razorbacks, who led the tournament in numbers with six singles players in the main draw, make up nearly one-sixth of all players left for the round of 32.
Senior Karina Ledaja was first on-court Thursday morning. The Liepaja, Latvia native won her seventh match of the fall with a 7-5, 6-1 win over Missouri State’s Maya Stanojevic.
Freshman Aurelija Miseviciute kept her unbeaten streak alive with a 6-3, 6-0 win against Sofia Holden of BYU, 6-3, 6-0. With the win, Miseviciute improves to a team-best 11-0 record.
Freshman Ela Kaluder gained her 12th win of college career with a three-set, come-from-behind win over Tulsa’s Carla Zabaleta. Kaluder lost the first set, 6-2, but came back big with two 6-3 set wins to decide the match.
Continuing the Thursday winning streak for the Lady’Backs was sophomore Maryori Franco. The Barranquilla, Colombia native was lights out in a 6-2, 6-0 victory over Denver’s Rachel Sackmaster.
Melissa Cornett rounded out the Lady’Back winning efforts in singles with a 7-6, 6-1 win over Missouri State’s Amanda Pratzel.
“Today was a big step in the positive direction for our program,” said Arkansas head coach Michael Hegarty. “We’re battling really hard and we are looking for more of that tomorrow.”
On Friday, Arkansas steps up the competition as Ledaja is slated to play Oklahoma State’s Iryna Tkachenko. The last time the two players met was in Fayetteville last fall at the Lady Razorback Fall Invitational in their flight’s championship match.
Miseviciute also begins tomorrow with an opponent worthy of mention. The Lady’Back freshman faces off against same-state rival Bindiya Parekh of Arkansas-Little Rock.
Action continues Friday through Sunday. For more information on Arkansas women’s tennis or any other Lady Razorback sport, please visit LADYBACKS.COM.
Tennis Results:
ITA Central Regional Tournament
Day Two
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Round One
Karina Ledaja (Arkansas) def. Maya Stanojevic (Missouri State) 7-5, 6-1
Aurelija Miseviciute (Arkansas) def. Sofia Holden (BYU) 6-3, 6-0
Maryori Franco (Arkansas) def. Rachel Sackmaster (Denver) 6-2, 6-0
Ela Kaluder (Arkansas) def. Carla Zabaleta (Tulsa) 2-6, 6-3, 6-3
Melissa Cornett def. Amanda Pratzel (Missouri State) 7-6, 6-1
Gabby Baker (Oklahoma) def. No. 53 Vlatka Jovanovic (Arkansas) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
— LADY RAZORBACKS —
