Tigu Paulson play in doubles final

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — The Arkansas duo of junior Anouk Tigu and freshman Claudine Paulson advanced to the finals of the doubles draw to highlight a strong final day for the Razorback women’s tennis team at the Colorado Tennis Invitational in Boulder, Colo., defeating Colorado’s Abbie Probert and Erin Sanders 8-3 in Sunday’s semifinals.

Tigu and Paulson faced another Colorado pair in the finals but dropped a 9-7 decision to Melisa Esposito and Camila Belassi, who defeated the Razorback duo of Emily Carbone and Valentina Starkova 8-1 to earn their spot in the final. Carbone and Starkova then took on Probert and Sanders in the consolation bracket and battled to a 9-8 (8-6) loss.

In other doubles action, Kate Lukomskaya and Kelsey Sundaram combined to defeat Louisiana-Lafayette’s Isreal Milou and Tara Vasovic 8-2. In their second match of the day, Lukomskaya and Sundaram picked up another win against Monica Milewski and Ania Anuszkiewicz of Colorado 8-6. Freshmen Annemijn Koenen and Adriana Nieto picked a 9-7 win against Air Force’s Laura Neal and Tori Arneson and added another victory with an 8-5 decision over another Falcon duo in Shannon Young and Erlyn Rudico.

Starkova, Paulson and Sundaram all picked up victories as the Razorbacks wrapped up singles play. Sundaram won her third match of the weekend by the score of 6-3, 6-2 over Neal. Starkova earned a 3-6, 6-4, (10-7) decision over Anuskiewicz. Carbone played strong in her final matches of the tournament but fell by the score of4-6, 6-4, (10-8) to Belassi.

In the Black singles draw, Nieto was the lone winner for the Hogs with a 6-2, 6-1 victory over Air Force’s Erin Conley. Freshman Lindsey Gray lost in straight sets, 6-0, 6-0, to Lindsey Mueller, and Koenen fell 6-3, 6-3 to Colorado’s Michala Jensen.

Arkansas will return home to host the Razorback Classic on Friday through Sunday at the Billingsley Tennis Center.

Gold Singles Draw 1 — Consolation

Camila Belassi (CU) def. Emily Carbone (ARK) 4-6, 6-4, (10-8)

Kelsey Sundaram (ARK) def. Laura Neal (CSU) 6-3, 6-2

Valentina Starkova (ARK)def. Ania Anuszkiewicz (CU) 3-6, 6-4, (10-7)

Claudine Paulson (ARK) def. Israel Milou (ULL) 6-0, 6-1

Black Singles Draw 1 — Pool Play

Lindsey Mueller (AFA) def. Lindsey Gray (ARK) 6-0, 6-0

Adriana Nieto (ARK) def. Erin Conley (AFA) 6-2, 6-1

Michala Jensen (CU) def. Annemijn Koenen (ARK) 6-3, 6-3

Silver Doubles Draw 1 — Semifinals

Tigu/Paulson (ARK) def. Probert/Sanders (CU) 8-3

Esposito/Belassi (CU) def. Carbone/Starkova (ARK) 8-1

Silver Doubles Draw 1 — Finals

Esposito/Belassi (CU) def. Tigu/Paulson (ARK) 9-7

Silver Doubles Draw 1 — Consolation

Probert/Sanders (CU) def. Carbone/Starkova (ARK) 9-8 (8-6)

Lukomskaya/Sundaram (ARK) def. Isreal/Vasovic (ULL) 8-2


Lukomskaya/Sundaram (ARK) def. Milewski/Anuszkiewicz (CU) 8-6

Koenen/Nieto (ARK) def. Neal/Arneson (CSU) 9-7

Koenen/Nieto (ARK) def. Young/Rudico (AFA) 8-5