Wildcats Edge Orange in NCAA First Round

Friday, May 7

Berkeley, Calif.

TBA

Syracuse University

Kentucky

Natalie Novotna competes in the NCAA Tournament.

Photo by: Robert Edwards

5/7/2021 5:12:00 PM | Tennis

Box Score

BERKELEY, Calif. – Syracuse's battle against Kentucky in the first round of the NCAA Women's Tennis Tournament came down to the No. 6 singles match and Fiona Arresa's three-set win gave the Wildcats a 4-3 victory on Thursday, May 7. The match was played at Helman Tennis Complex in Berkeley, California.

HOW IT HAPPENED
Syracuse's top doubles duo of Natalie Novotna and Viktoriya Kanapatskaya upset the nation's No. 1 ranked pairing of Arressa and Akville Parazinskaire, 6-3, however, No. 26 Kentucky (16-8) claimed the doubles point with victories at No. 2 and No. 3. Ana Tkachenko and Carla Girbau defeated Polina Kozyreva and Sofya Trescheva, 6-2, on Court 2, while Lesedi Jacobs and Elizabeth Stevens posted a 6-4 victory against Miranda Ramirez and Guzal Yusupova in the match that clinched the point for the Wildcats.

Kentucky took a 2-1 lead on Jacobs' 6-3, 6-3 win against Yusupova at No. 2 singles, before Syracuse (8-12) posted three straight victories to take a 3-2 lead.

Novotna defeated Carlota Molina at the No. 3 spot, 6-1, 7-6 (3) minutes before Kanapatskaya, who is ranked No. 11 in the nation, posted a 7-5, 6-3 win against 28th-ranked Parazinskaite, 7-5, 6-3. Ramirez won her match at No. 4 singles, 7-6 (1), 6-2 over Stevens to give the Orange a one-point advantage with two matches remaining.

Girbau tied the match at 3-3 with a 6-4, 6-3 victory against Zeynep Erman at No. 5 singles with just the No. 6 singles match remaining. Aressa and Koyzreva split the first two sets and were tied at 4-4 in the third set. Aressa broke Kozyreva's serve and then successfully served for the match, clinching Kentucky's victory.

OF NOTE
Friday's match marked the fourth NCAA tournament appearance for the Orange. They are now 3-3 all-time in the tournament.

RESULTS
Kentucky 4, Syracuse 3

Doubles
1. Viktoriya Kanapatskaya/Natalie Novotna (Syr.) def. Akville Parazinskaite/Fiona Arrese (Ky.), 6-3
2. Ana Tkachenko/Carla Girbau (Ky.) def. Polina Kozyreva/Sofya Trescheva (Syr.), 6-2
3. Lesedi Jacobs/Elizabeth Stevens (Ky.) vs. Miranda Ramirez/Guzal Yusupova (Syr.), 6-4*

Singles
1. Viktoriya Kanapatskaya (Syr.) def. Akville Parazinskaite (Ky.), 7-5, 6-3
2. Lesedi Jacobs (Ky.) def. Guzal Yusupova (Syr.), 6-3, 6-3
3. Natalia Novotna (Syr.) def. Carlota Molina (Ky.), 6-1, 7-6(3)
4. Miranda Ramirez (Syr.) def. Elizabeth Stevens (Ky.), 7-6(1), 6-2
5. Carla Girbau (Ky.) def. Zeynep Erman (Syr.), 6-4, 6-3
6. Fiona Arresa (Ky.) def. Polina Kozyreva (Syr.), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4^

Order of Finish: Doubles (2, 1, 3*), Singles (2, 3, 1, 4, 5, 6^)
* Clinched the doubles point
^Clinched the overall win