Results (PDF) | Coach Clark Interview
URBANA, Ill. – Illinois Women's Tennis finally returned home to the Atkins Tennis Center and opened its February homestand against the 22nd-ranked Kentucky Wildcats. The visitors got the best of the Illini in a competitive match despite the deceiving 7-0 score. The Fighting Illini are now 3-3 on the season while Kentucky improved to 4-1.
"Hats off to Kentucky for playing well tonight," shared Illinois head coach Evan Clark. "With the lineup they played tonight, they will be tough to beat. The 7-0 score is a bit deceiving as we certainly had plenty of opportunities at several spots. We have to do a better job of capitalizing on those opportunities, especially against a team like Kentucky.
No. 1 doubles was a tall test for Louise Kwong and Ines Vias, who faced the top-ranked doubles team in the nation in Kentucky's Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi. The match would go unfinished with Kentucky leading 5-4 after coming back from a 4-2 deficit to Kwong and Vias.
Illinois relinquished its first doubles tally of the season in the match. Jerricka Boone and Madie Baillon fell 6-2 on court two while Alexis Casati and Daniela Pedraza Novak lost by a 6-3 margin.
Kentucky took a 2-0 lead when No. 100 Adachi defeated Illinois' Pedraza Novak in straight 6-3 sets. First-court action concluded next, where Kwong fell in a 7-5, 6-3 decision. Action on court six wrapped up next when Baillon fell in a hard-fought 7-5, 6-3 match, which secured the victory for Kentucky on the evening. Kentucky continued to roll as play on court four wrapped up with Vias falling in a 6-2, 7-5 decision.
After dropping the opening frame 1-6, Casati fired back with a 6-3 win in the second set to force a decisive third set on court two against No. 97 Sutijadi. The Illini junior came up just short in the final set, falling 6-4.
Boone was the lone Illini to win an opening set against the Wildcats on the day, claiming the opening frame 6-3 over her third-court counterpart. The junior fell by matching 6-4 tallies in the final sets, as Kentucky locked down the 7-0 victory.
Illinois will host a match each of the next three weekends to close out the month of February. South Florida comes to town for a 6 p.m. match on Feb. 13, followed by No. 41 DePaul and 26th-ranked Northwestern the following two weekends, respectively.
"We have a lot of tennis ahead of us and I know the team is excited to get back to work," Clark said.
#22 KENTUCKY 7, ILLINOIS 0
SINGLES
1. Justina Mikulskyte (UK) def. Louise Kwong (ILL) 7-5, 6-3
2. #97 Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) def. Alexis Casati (ILL) 6-1, 3-6, 6-4
3. Nadia Ravita (UK) def. #114 Jerricka Boone (ILL) 3-6, 6-4, 6-4
4. Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. Ines Vias (ILL) 6-2, 7-5
5. #100 Mami Adachi (UK) def. Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) 6-3, 6-3
6. Kirsten Lewis (UK) def. Madie Baillon (ILL) 7-5, 6-3
DOUBLES
1. Louise Kwong / Ines Vias (ILL) vs. #1 Mami Adachi/Aldila Sutjiadi (UK) 4-5, unfinished
2. Akvile Parazinskaite/Morgan Chumney (UK) def. Jerricka Boone / Madie Baillon (ILL) 6-2
3. Justina Mikulskyte/Nadia Ravita (UK) def. Alexis Casati / Daniela Pedraza Novak (ILL) 6-3
