LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The WKU tennis team dropped both matches in the opening weekend played in Louisville, Ky at the Bass-Rudd Tennis Center. The Lady Toppers fell 4-3 to Southern Illinois (1-1) on Friday and 4-2 to Louisville (2-0) on Saturday.
WKU started the weekend off with a close match against SIU. The Lady Toppers dropped the doubles point but came back to win at the No. 2, 3 and 5 spots in singles play. SIU clinched the match with wins at No. 1, 4 and 6 in singles.
The Lady Toppers took on Louisville the next morning. The Cards won the match with wins at No. 3, 5 and 6 in singles and the doubles point. Tereza Hejlova and Andreanna Christopoulou each won their singles match.
The No. 114 ITA ranked Christopoulou highlighted the weekend for the Lady Toppers with singles wins in both matches giving her a 2-0 record in 2016. The junior has a four-match winning streak extended from last spring with wins against Middle Tennessee in the Conference USA Championship and Lindsey Wilson in the regular season finale.
Hejlova defended the No. 1 singles spot for WKU on the weekend. After dropping her first match against Athena Chrysanthou of SIU, the sophomore bounced back with an impressive 6-4, 6-2 win over Sena Suswam of Louisville.
Elpida Malamou and Violetta Shatalova picked up wins against SIU in singles. Malamou defeated Yana Golovkina in a close 7-6, 6-4 battle. Shatalova topped Vitoria Beirao 6-3, 6-2.
WKU will be back in action on Jan. 24 against Indiana in Bloomington. Indiana is ranked at No. 50 in the most recent ITA polls.
WKU vs. SIU
Singles
1. Athena Chrysanthou (SIU) def. Tereza Hejlova (WKU) 6-3. 6-1
2. Andreanna Christopoulou (WKU) def. Meagan Monaghan (SIU) 6-4, 6-2
3. Elpida Malamou (WKU) def. Yana Golovkina (SIU) 7-6, 6-4
4. Ana Sofia Cordero (SIU) def. Cassie Pennington (WKU) 6-1, 6-3
5. Violetta Shatalova (WKU) def. Vitoria Beirao (SIU) 6-3, 6-2
6. Polina Dozortseva (SIU) def. Hallie Pennington (WKU) 6-2, 6-0
Doubles
1. Monaghan/Beirao (SIU) def. Christopoulou/Shatalova (SIU) 6-2
2. Hejlova/Malamou (WKU) vs. Cordero/Dozortseva (SIU) unfinished
3. Golovkina/Chrysanthou (SIU) def. C. Pennington/H. Pennington (WKU) 6-2
WKU vs. Louisville
Singles
1. Tereza Hejlova (WKU) def. Sena Suswam (Louisville) 6-4, 6-2
2. Andreanna Christopoulou (WKU) def. Elle Stokes (Louisville) 6-3, 6-3
3. Abbie Pahz (Louisville) def. Elpida Malamou (WKU) 6-0, 3-6, 6-0
4. Olivia Boesing (Louisville) def. Violetta Shatalova (WKU) 7-6, 2-0 unfinished
5. Jessie Lynn Paul (Louisville) def. Gabby Crofford (WKU) 6-1, 6-1
6. Ariana Rodriguez (Louisville) def. Cassie Pennington (WKU) 6-0, 6-0
Doubles
1. Pahz/Boesing (Louisville) def. Christopoulou/Malamou (WKU) 6-4
2. Shatalova/Hejlova (WKU) vs. Rodriguez/Suswam (Louisville) unfinished
3. Paul/Stokes (Louisville) def. Crofford/C. Pennington (WKU) 6-4
