Alabama
Kentucky
Women's Tennis Earns 4-3 Win Over Kentucky
3/28/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
March 28, 2010
LEXINGTON, Ky. - The 71st-ranked women's tennis team (8-8, 1-5 SEC) came from behind to take down Kentucky (2-14, 0-6 SEC) 4-3 Sunday at the Boone Tennis Complex. The victory was the Crimson Tide's first in Southeastern Conference action this season.
"It was a good, hard-fought match both ways," head coach Jenny Mainz said. "We are really pleased and definitely needed this win. Any time you can manage to pick up an SEC win on the road it is a good thing."
Alabama picked up the early 1-0 lead after winning the doubles point on courts two and three. First off the court was the matchup at No. 3 where Tide senior Paulina Bigos and junior Meritt Emery breezed to an 8-0 win over Wildcat freshman Elle Coldiron and junior Nicole Scates. Securing the doubles point for Alabama shortly after would be senior Alice Tunaru and freshman Antonia Foehse with an 8-4 decision over Kentucky junior Megan Broderick and senior Christine Johnston. The matchup at No. 1 went unfinished as it was called once the point was won, however Tide sophomore Courtney McLane and freshman Alexa Guarachi, ranked 60th in the nation, led Wildcat sophomores Caroline Lilley and Minnette Pienaar 7-4.
Kentucky evened the score at 1-1 with a win at No. 1 singles as No. 123 Broderick took down 39th-ranked Guarachi 6-1, 6-3. The Wildcat netter was in full control throughout the first set, but Guarachi led early in the second 2-0. Broderick came back late in the frame to take the second and give her team its first point of the afternoon. Kentucky grabbed another straight-sets win, this time coming on court four, as Pienaar earned a 6-3, 6-2 victory over Bigos.
The Wildcats came within one point of the dual match win grabbing another singles win thanks to Johnston's 6-3, 6-1 decision over Emery at the No. 3 spot. The Alabama junior remained in the first set not falling behind until late. The second set was all Johnston as she took the early 4-0 lead and never looked back.
The Tide picked up its first singles win of the afternoon on court five in decisive fashion as Foehse downed Coldiron 6-1, 6-0. Alabama followed that up with another straight-sets win at No. 2 with McLane outlasting Lilley in a pair of tiebreakers to win 7-6(6), 7-6(1). The dual match win would be decided at No. 6 where Tunaru blasted past Scates 6-1, 6-0.
"We needed Courtney (McLane) big time today, and she did a great job of staying composed and finishing," Mainz added. "I credit her for really staying poised."
The Tide continues its three-match road swing at LSU and Arkansas on April 2 and April 4, respectively. Friday's match with the Razorbacks is slated to begin at 3:00 p.m. (CST), while opening serve with the Tigers on Sunday is scheduled for noon (CST).
RESULTS
Doubles
1. No. 60 Guarachi/McLane (UA) vs. Lilley/Pienaar (UK) 7-4, unf.
2. Foehse/Tunaru (UA) def. Broderick/Johnston (UK) 8-4
3. Bigos/Emery (UA) def. Coldiron/Scates (UK) 8-0
Order of Finish: 3,2
Singles
1. No. 123 Megan Broderick (UK) def. No. 39 Alexa Guarachi (UA) 6-1, 6-3
2. Courtney McLane (UA) def. Caroline Lilley (UK) 7-6(6), 7-6(1)
3. Christine Johnston (UK) def. Meritt Emery (UA) 6-3, 6-1
4. Minnette Pienaar (UK) def. Paulina Bigos (UA) 6-3, 6-2
5. Antonia Foehse (UA) def. Elle Coldiron (UK) 6-1, 6-0
6. Alice Tunaru (UA) def. Nicole Scates (UK) 6-1, 6-0
Order of Finish: 1,4,3,5,2,6*
Players Mentioned
