Three Hogs advance to flight finals

AUBURN, Ala. — Three Razorback women’s tennis players advanced to their respective flight finals on day two of the SEC Coaches’ Classic in Auburn, Ala. Senior Anouk Tigu, sophomore Valentina Starkova and sophomore Claudine Paulson each defeated their SEC counterparts on Saturday to pick up two wins in as many days and advance to the final day of play.

“To play in three flight finals tomorrow is a great start to our individual season,” said head coach Michael Hegarty. “We turned around after a strong effort yesterday to produce another excellent all-around performance. Even in our few losses today, we showed solid progress and I am ready for an exciting day three, which is always the toughest day at this event.”

In Flight 1A, Tigu showed exactly why she is ranked number 18 in the nation as she won a straight set victory over Whitney Wolf of LSU, 6-3, 6-1. Over in Flight 4B, Starkova won a good three-setter against Millicent Nichols from Tennessee, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0. Finally, in Flight 5A, Paulson again won in straight sets, 6-2, 6-1, over Auburn’s Plamena Kurteva.

There was also one Razorback doubles team playing a finals match in Flight 5. Sophomore Kelsey Sundaram and freshman Jade Frampton, who went 2-0 the day before, lost a tough match to Alina Jerjomina and Rachael Hart of Georgia, 8-4. However, two other doubles teams did finish out the consolation bracket on a high note. The number 26-ranked team of Tigu and Paulson defeated Olivia Bennett and Jacqueline Kasler of Auburn, 8-3, as well as the tandem of juniors Stephanie Roy and Emily Carbone dropping Vanderbilt’s Rachael Dillion and Megan Gornet, 8-6.

The tournament will conclude tomorrow on the Auburn campus with the final singles matches of each flight.

For all Razorback’s women’s tennis coverage throughout the fall and spring seasons, be sure to log on to ArkansasRazorbacks.com.Complete Doubles ResultsFlight 1#26 Anouk Tigu/Claudine Paulson (ARK) def. Olivia Bennett/Jacqueline Kasler (AU) 8-3Flight 3Lauren Mira/Alex Leatu (VU) def. Kate Lukomskaya/Valentina Starkova (ARK) 8-1Flight 4Alina Jerjomina/Rachael Hart (UGA) def. Kelsey Sundaram/Jade Frampton (ARK) 8-4Flight 5Stephanie Roy/Emily Carbone (ARK) def. Rachael Dillion/Megan Gornet (VU) 8-6Complete Singles ResultsFlight 1A#18 Anouk Tigu (ARK) def. #122 Whitney Wolf (LSU) 6-3, 6-1Flight 2AClaire Bartlett (UF) def. Kelsey Sundaram (ARK) 4-6, 6-4, 6-4Flight 2BLaura Van de Stroet (UM) def. #76 Kate Lukomskaya (ARK) 7-6, 7-6Flight 3AEmily Carbone (ARK) def. Antonia Foehse (ALA) 6-3, 6-2Flight 4APaulina Schippers (AU) def. Jade Frampton (ARK) 6-2, 6-1Flight 4BValentina Starkova (ARK) def. Millicent Nichols (UT) 6-1, 4-6, 6-0Stephanie Roy (ARK) def. Marni Venter (UK) 6-1, 6-2Flight 5AClaudine Paulson (ARK) def. Plamena Kurteva (AU) 6-2, 6-1