Linares Collects Top-25 Win on Day 2 of Thunderbird Classic
Nov 10, 2018 | Tennis
TEMPE, Ariz.?– Sophomore Maria Linares' three-set victory over 24th-ranked Vanessa Wong from Washington highlighted K-State's second day of the Thunderbird Classic at the Whiteman Tennis Center Saturday.
"Maria did a great job of bouncing back today," head coach Jordan Smith said. "Yesterday she was struggling to find her rhythm. She came out with a better mindset today and embraced the moment. She played a complete match today and got one of her best wins. It was fun to watch.
"We had a good start in our doubles matches. We challenged the team to bring more energy in doubles and we did that well today. That good energy carried over to our singles matches, which helped us have another good showing. Tomorrow is a great opportunity for the team to finish our fall season strong."
Linares, who recovered from an opening-set loss to oust Wong, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, picked up her second ranked victory of the fall season. Her win, along with Rosanna Maffei's, 7-5, 6-3, triumph over Kansas' Julia Deming, helped her squad split four singles matches against a team made of up Kansas and Washington athletes.
Sophomore Ines Mesquita lost to Kansas' Plobrug Plipuech, 6-0, 6-1, and Maria Ponomareva fell to Washington's Kat Kopcalic, 6-1, 7-6 (6).
In doubles, the team of Linares, Maffei, Mesquita and Ponomerava went 1-1 against the Arizona State Sun Devils. The duo of Maffei and Ponomareva claimed victory over Tereza Kolarova and Sasa Klanecek, 6-3. Mesquita and Linares fell to Savannah Slaysman and Sammi Hampton, 7-6 (6).
The second team containing sophomore Margot Decker, sophomore Anna Turco, junior Iona Gheorghita and Washington's Natsuho Arkawa went 3-1 in singles against Michigan.
Turco defeated Bella Lorenzini, 6-3, 6-3, while Gheorghita won in straight sets over Lanie van Linge, 6-1, 6-3. Decker was defeated by Anca Craciun, 1-6, 7-5, 6-2, and UW's Arkawa's rolled by Lera Patiuk, 6-1, 7-5.
In doubles, the team went 0-2 against Pepperdine/Arizona State, as the tandom of Decker and Turco fell to Adrijana Lekaj and Anastasia Iamachkine of Pepperdine, 6-2. Gheorghita and Arkawa were defeated by Koester and Alicea of Arizona State, 6-4.
On Sunday, the all-K-State team will take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders in doubles and Pepperdine/Arizona State in singles. The team of Arkawa, Gheorghita, Ponomareva and Decker will face Michigan in doubles and California in singles.
Players Mentioned
