Keitel, Santos Named Individual Singles Champions
Nov 12, 2023 | Tennis
The Wildcats will return to the courts in January for the spring season
WACO, Texas- The K-State women's tennis team left Waco, Texas on Sunday (Nov. 12) with two individual champions—freshman Charlotte Keitel and sophomore Maria Santos—after four days of singles competition in the Big 12 Fall Invite at Hurd Tennis Center.
The Wildcats competed in four singles draws throughout the tournament, with Keitel and Santos winning their respective brackets.
Yesterday, Keitel defeated Oklahoma's Romana Cisovska 5-7, 6-4, 10-5, to reach the championship match and was therefore named the White draw champion after her BYU opponent could not compete in the final match on Sunday.
Today, Santos defeated Nina Skoric from Houston, 6-3, 6-2, to win the Yellow draw and leave the tournament undefeated with four straight wins.
Five Wildcats competed in extra matches on the last day of competition, four of them walking away with a win.
Freshman Tereza Polakova competed in one last three set match, dropping the first set before coming back and being victorious, 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 against the Cougar's Sonya Kovalenko.
Two 'Cats—junior Veronika Kulhava and senior Aleen Quamar—produced identical straight set wins, Kulhava defeating Cincinnatti's Sakurako Watanabe, 6-2, 6-1, Quamar also defeating a Bearcat, Isabel Pacheco, 6-2, 6-1.
Senior Manami Ukita won due to her opponent, Danielle Tuhten from Baylor, retiring after Ukita was ahead, 6-4, 4-0.
Keitel competed in one additional match against Gabrielle Guenther of Cincinnatti where she fell short, 6-3, 6-1.
K-State looks to return to the courts in January with the start of the spring season.
FROM THE COURT
Head Coach Jordan Smith
On the last day of the fall season…
"Today ended our fall season that gave our team a lot of great performances. Of course, closing out the event winning five singles matches was an added bonus."
On the success in singles competition for Maria and Charlotte…
"Pretty awesome seeing Maria turn things around from only two weeks ago. She was fantastic all tournament and deserved to win her draw today. Beyond proud that we came out and won two of the four singles brackets at Fall Big 12's."
On looking forward to the spring season…
"Overall, our team has been invested in the right things all fall and the results have showed. Now, we need to rest and get ready to hopefully repeat this success in January."
Big 12 Fall Invitational
Hurd Tennis Center
Waco, Texas
Singles Competition
Championship Match
Maria Santos (KSU) def. Nina Skoric (HOU) 6-3, 6-2
Extra Matches
Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Sonya Kovalenko (HOU) 4-6, 6-3, 10-7
Manami Ukita (KSU) def. Danielle Tuhten (BU) 6-4, 3-0 [ret.]
Veronika Kulhava (KSU) def. Sakurako Watanabe (CIN) 6-2, 6-1
Aleen Quamar (KSU) def. Isabel Pacheco (CIN) 6-2, 6-1
Gabrielle Guenther (CIN) def. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) 6-3, 6-1
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Tennis Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Instagram.
The Wildcats competed in four singles draws throughout the tournament, with Keitel and Santos winning their respective brackets.
Yesterday, Keitel defeated Oklahoma's Romana Cisovska 5-7, 6-4, 10-5, to reach the championship match and was therefore named the White draw champion after her BYU opponent could not compete in the final match on Sunday.
Today, Santos defeated Nina Skoric from Houston, 6-3, 6-2, to win the Yellow draw and leave the tournament undefeated with four straight wins.
Five Wildcats competed in extra matches on the last day of competition, four of them walking away with a win.
Freshman Tereza Polakova competed in one last three set match, dropping the first set before coming back and being victorious, 4-6, 6-3, 10-7 against the Cougar's Sonya Kovalenko.
Two 'Cats—junior Veronika Kulhava and senior Aleen Quamar—produced identical straight set wins, Kulhava defeating Cincinnatti's Sakurako Watanabe, 6-2, 6-1, Quamar also defeating a Bearcat, Isabel Pacheco, 6-2, 6-1.
Senior Manami Ukita won due to her opponent, Danielle Tuhten from Baylor, retiring after Ukita was ahead, 6-4, 4-0.
Keitel competed in one additional match against Gabrielle Guenther of Cincinnatti where she fell short, 6-3, 6-1.
K-State looks to return to the courts in January with the start of the spring season.
FROM THE COURT
Head Coach Jordan Smith
On the last day of the fall season…
"Today ended our fall season that gave our team a lot of great performances. Of course, closing out the event winning five singles matches was an added bonus."
On the success in singles competition for Maria and Charlotte…
"Pretty awesome seeing Maria turn things around from only two weeks ago. She was fantastic all tournament and deserved to win her draw today. Beyond proud that we came out and won two of the four singles brackets at Fall Big 12's."
On looking forward to the spring season…
"Overall, our team has been invested in the right things all fall and the results have showed. Now, we need to rest and get ready to hopefully repeat this success in January."
Big 12 Fall Invitational
Hurd Tennis Center
Waco, Texas
Singles Competition
Championship Match
Maria Santos (KSU) def. Nina Skoric (HOU) 6-3, 6-2
Extra Matches
Tereza Polakova (KSU) def. Sonya Kovalenko (HOU) 4-6, 6-3, 10-7
Manami Ukita (KSU) def. Danielle Tuhten (BU) 6-4, 3-0 [ret.]
Veronika Kulhava (KSU) def. Sakurako Watanabe (CIN) 6-2, 6-1
Aleen Quamar (KSU) def. Isabel Pacheco (CIN) 6-2, 6-1
Gabrielle Guenther (CIN) def. Charlotte Keitel (KSU) 6-3, 6-1
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on the K-State Women's Tennis Team, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Threads, Facebook and Instagram.
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