ATLANTA – The Auburn women's tennis team dropped its opening match of the ITA Kickoff Weekend, falling to No. 25 Kentucky 4-0 at the Ken Byers Tennis Center at Georgia Tech.
The Tigers (4-1) will face No. 13 Georgia Tech in the consolation match, set for a 9 a.m. CT start Sunday.
The Wildcats (4-1) got off to a quick start as they took the first two matches in doubles to take a 1-0 lead. The 14th-ranked team of Sophia Graver and Taylor Russo were on serve throughout the set, but Kentucky's team of Akvile Parazinskaite and Justina Mikulskyte broke late to win 7-5 and clinch the point. Auburn's No. 2 doubles team of Jaeda Daniel and Madeline Meredith were leading 6-5 when doubles play was halted.
In singles, Kentucky earned wins on courts two, four and five to clinch the win. Graver fell to Parazinskaite 6-4, 6-2 at the No. 2 spot, Russo dropped a 6-2, 6-3 decision to Tiphanie Fiquet on court four, and Alannah Griffin fell on court five to Diana Tkachenko, 6-2, 6-2.
Yu Chen won her first set on court six over Anastasia Tkachenko 6-1 and was leading 6-5 in the second set when play was halted. Daniel and Meredith dropped their first sets but were also leading in the second set when the match was clinched.
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#25 Kentucky 4, Auburn 0
Singles
1. Justina Mikulskyte (UK) v. #61 Jaeda Daniel (AU) 6-4, 2-4 unfinished
2. Akvile Parazinskaite (UK) def. Sophia Graver (AUB) 6-4, 6-2
3. Lesedi Jacobs (UK) v. Madeline Meredith (AUB) 6-4, 3-4 unfinished
4. Tiphanie Fiquet (UK) def. Taylor Russo (AUB) 6-3, 6-2
5. Diana Tkachenko (UK) def. Alannah Griffin (AUB) 6-2, 6-2
6. Yu Chen (AUB) v. Anastasia Tkachenko (UK) 6-1, 6-5 unfinished
Order of finish: 2, 3, 5
Doubles
1. Parazinskaite/Mikulskyte (UK) def. #14 Graver/Russo (AU), 7-5
2. Daniel/Meredith (AU) vs. Fiquet/Jacobs (UK), 6-5 unfinished
3. Tkachenko/Merrill (UK) def. Griffin/Chen (AU), 6-2
Order of finish: 3, 1
