FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The University of Arkansas’ women’s tennis team completed its second day of play at the Country Club of Little Rock Collegiate Invitational on Saturday by sending one singles player and one doubles team to the championship match of their flight. The championship matches and final day of play will begin at 9 a.m. Sunday from Little Rock, Ark.
Sophomore Oleksandra Shkorupeieva advanced to the championship match in singles flight “B” after she dominated Marta Morga of Memphis, 6-1, 6-0. Shkorupeieva has lost just four total games through her two matches in Little Rock. She will face Kansas’ Belen Ludvena on Sunday for the title.
Shkorupeieva will also be playing for a doubles championship as she and junior Yang Pang won both of their matches on the day to move forward. After receiving a first-round bye, the No. 59-ranked doubles tandem in the preseason ITA poll defeated Marja Milutinovic and Allie Robbins of Ole Miss, 8-3. In the semifinal match, Pang and Shkorupeieva took down Oklahoma State’s Carla Tur Mari and Marta Alvarez in a tiebreaker, 8-7(6).
Pang also picked up a singles win Saturday, defeating Houston’s Elena Kordolaimi in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4, after she dropped her opening round match on Friday.
“We are very impressed with the execution from Sasha (Shkorupeieva) and Nicky (Pang) today,” head coach Michael Hegarty said. “These are two young ladies who care about the Razorback on their uniform greatly and it is no surprise to see them leading by example out there today. We look to take another step forward tomorrow with a total team effort.”
Juniors Flavia Araujo and Nicole Breaux fell in both of their singles matches as well as their two doubles matches on Saturday.
The final day of play will begin at 9 a.m. tomorrow.
For results from each day’s action, check ArkansasRazorbacks.com and @RazorbackWTEN on Twitter.
RESULTS:
Singles:
Oleksandra Shkorupeieva (UA) def. Marta Morga (Memphis) 6-1, 6-0
Yang Pang (UA) def. Elena Kordolaimi (Houston) 6-3, 6-4
Marta Alvarez def. Nicole Breaux (UA) 6-2, 6-0
Maria Cardenas (Houston) def. Flavia Araujo (UA) 6-2, 6-3
Doubles:
Pang/Shkorupeieva (UA) def. Milutinovic/Robbins (Ole Miss) 8-3
Pang/Shkorupeieva (UA) def. Tur Mari/Alvarez (Okla. St) 8-7(6)
Kordolaimi/Vogasari (Houston) def. Araujo/Breaux (UA) 8-3
Ludena/Cardona (Kansas) def. Araujo/Breaux (UA) 8-2