Kansas State University Athletics
Saturday, January 25
Durham, North Carolina
1:00 PM
Kansas State University
at
Duke
Wildcats Face No. 5 Duke at ITA Kickoff Weekend on Saturday
Jan 24, 2020 | Tennis
MANHATTAN, Kan. – With the 2020 spring season underway, the Kansas State women's tennis team faces one of its biggest tests of the young season in Durham, N.C., as the team opens the ITA Kickoff Weekend against No. 5 Duke (2-0) on Saturday at 1 p.m., CT inside the Sheffield Tennis Center.
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K-State (1-0) will have two matches this weekend as part of the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The team will take on either Mississippi State (3-0) or Tulsa (5-0) based on the outcome of Saturday's matches between the four programs.
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"It's good to be back participating in the National Indoor Kickoff," said Head Coach Jordan Smith. "This is the second straight year for us to be invited to this event, which is a credit to how we finished last season."
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The Wildcats arrive in Durham, N.C., with momentum following a 5-0 win against Penn State on Monday. Juniors Maria Linares, Anna Turco, Margot Decker and sophomore Rosanna Maffei all clinched victories in the No. 1-4 spots for the Wildcats, while the pairings of Turco and Decker and senior Ines Mesquita and sophomore Karine-Marion Job all locked up the doubles point to record a 5-0 win over the Nittany Lions in the home opener.
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"I was pleased with how we came out in our match on Monday," said Smith. "These ladies have been doing the right things and putting themselves in a position to compete against any team in the country. No better way to show that then playing against Duke. We know their rich tennis history, but we face teams in the Big 12 each year that are just as good. Just have to stay true to our brand of tennis."
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This is not the first time in the 2019-20 campaign the Wildcats have faced the Blue Devils, as both teams competed against one another in the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 7-13 during the fall season. Decker and Turco went head-to-head with Duke's Chloe Beck and Meible Chi during the doubles portion of the national tournament, while junior player Maria Linares took on the Blue Devil's Beck during singles competition in the Qualifying Round.
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During the doubles' matchup, Decker and Turco outlasted the nationally ranked pair of Beck and Chi, taking down the No. 35 ranked duo with a set score of 8-6. Linares, who came across Beck in bracket play for the singles portion of the tournament, fell in two sets to Beck at a score line of 6-4, 6-3. Beck is currently the No. 25 ranked player by the ITA in singles play heading into this weekend.
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The Blue Devils come into the year with high expectations across the country, as the reigning ACC champions posted a 27-4 overall record, including a perfect 14-0 record at home for the 2018-19 campaign. Duke junior Kelly Chen returns after making a deep run in the 2019 NCAA Singles Championship last spring. Chen ended her remarkable run with four-consecutive victories before falling in the semifinals round of the championships.
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Four Duke players currently rank in the ITA Top 125 rankings for singles play, including Chen (No. 10), Beck (No. 25), Margaryta Bilokin (No. 67) and Chi (No. 77).
Mississippi State is led by Emma Antonaki in the No. 1 spot, who has posted a 2-1 record thus far in the 2020 spring season. The Bulldogs have taken down Troy, Samford and Xavier this year, coming into the tournament with an undefeated record.
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Tulsa arrives with a hot streak in Durham, N.C., as the Golden Hurricanes have only allowed one point this entire season through five matches. Martina Okalova leads Tulsa in the No. 1 position with a perfect 5-0 mark in the 2020 campaign.
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Viewers wanting to tune into the match on Saturday afternoon can follow along with the live stats link here.
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After the match between either Mississippi State or Tulsa on Sunday, K-State's next opponent will feature a in-state matchup with Wichita State on Friday, January 31 in Wichita, Kansas.
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For the latest on K-State tennis follow @kstatesports and @KStateTEN on Twitter or Kansas State Tennis on Facebook.
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K-State (1-0) will have two matches this weekend as part of the ITA Kickoff Weekend. The team will take on either Mississippi State (3-0) or Tulsa (5-0) based on the outcome of Saturday's matches between the four programs.
Â
"It's good to be back participating in the National Indoor Kickoff," said Head Coach Jordan Smith. "This is the second straight year for us to be invited to this event, which is a credit to how we finished last season."
Â
The Wildcats arrive in Durham, N.C., with momentum following a 5-0 win against Penn State on Monday. Juniors Maria Linares, Anna Turco, Margot Decker and sophomore Rosanna Maffei all clinched victories in the No. 1-4 spots for the Wildcats, while the pairings of Turco and Decker and senior Ines Mesquita and sophomore Karine-Marion Job all locked up the doubles point to record a 5-0 win over the Nittany Lions in the home opener.
Â
"I was pleased with how we came out in our match on Monday," said Smith. "These ladies have been doing the right things and putting themselves in a position to compete against any team in the country. No better way to show that then playing against Duke. We know their rich tennis history, but we face teams in the Big 12 each year that are just as good. Just have to stay true to our brand of tennis."
Â
This is not the first time in the 2019-20 campaign the Wildcats have faced the Blue Devils, as both teams competed against one another in the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma on October 7-13 during the fall season. Decker and Turco went head-to-head with Duke's Chloe Beck and Meible Chi during the doubles portion of the national tournament, while junior player Maria Linares took on the Blue Devil's Beck during singles competition in the Qualifying Round.
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During the doubles' matchup, Decker and Turco outlasted the nationally ranked pair of Beck and Chi, taking down the No. 35 ranked duo with a set score of 8-6. Linares, who came across Beck in bracket play for the singles portion of the tournament, fell in two sets to Beck at a score line of 6-4, 6-3. Beck is currently the No. 25 ranked player by the ITA in singles play heading into this weekend.
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The Blue Devils come into the year with high expectations across the country, as the reigning ACC champions posted a 27-4 overall record, including a perfect 14-0 record at home for the 2018-19 campaign. Duke junior Kelly Chen returns after making a deep run in the 2019 NCAA Singles Championship last spring. Chen ended her remarkable run with four-consecutive victories before falling in the semifinals round of the championships.
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Four Duke players currently rank in the ITA Top 125 rankings for singles play, including Chen (No. 10), Beck (No. 25), Margaryta Bilokin (No. 67) and Chi (No. 77).
Mississippi State is led by Emma Antonaki in the No. 1 spot, who has posted a 2-1 record thus far in the 2020 spring season. The Bulldogs have taken down Troy, Samford and Xavier this year, coming into the tournament with an undefeated record.
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Tulsa arrives with a hot streak in Durham, N.C., as the Golden Hurricanes have only allowed one point this entire season through five matches. Martina Okalova leads Tulsa in the No. 1 position with a perfect 5-0 mark in the 2020 campaign.
Â
Viewers wanting to tune into the match on Saturday afternoon can follow along with the live stats link here.
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After the match between either Mississippi State or Tulsa on Sunday, K-State's next opponent will feature a in-state matchup with Wichita State on Friday, January 31 in Wichita, Kansas.
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For the latest on K-State tennis follow @kstatesports and @KStateTEN on Twitter or Kansas State Tennis on Facebook.
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