NORMAN, Okla. - There was nothing conventional about No. 17 Texas Tech's 4-3 win over No. 54 Kansas State in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 Women's Tennis Championships at the Headington Family Tennis Center on the campus of the University of Oklahoma on Friday.
"There were a lot of reasons why we shouldn't or couldn't win today and we definitely could have given in in several different areas," said Texas Tech head coach Todd Petty. "I was just really impressed with the character in which they played. They came out and weren't going to let that happen in the doubles and played some of their best in the doubles. That's coming off one of our worst doubles, which was Baylor in the conference (final). I'm just impressed with them all.
"K-State's a good team and we played great singles. We're lucky to be there at 3-all. They really outplayed us in a lot of positions and that wasn't our fault; that was a lot to do with them."
Friday in Norman was a day of on again and off again sprinkles. There was hint of rain, but it never came. So, play began with singles first and that may have thrown the rhythm of the day off.
Playing with a slight illness, it sure did not show on the court, as Kenna Kilgo rolled to the first point of the day for Texas Tech with a straight set, 6-3, 6-2 win over Ivana Kubickova.
K-State's No. 14 Petra Niedermayerova answered with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Tech's No. 78 Samantha Adams to even the team score, 1-1.
Elizabeth Ullathorne put the Lady Raiders back on top with a 6-3, 6-2 win over Amina St. Hil, but it was short-lived as K-State answered with Carmen Borau Ramos' 6-3, 6-3 over Caroline Starck at No. 6.
Texas Tech's Nikki Sanders then held on for a 6-0, 7-5 victory over Ana Gomez Aleman at No. 5, leaving one match left on the court.
On court two, K-State's Karla Bonacic won the first set, 6-1, only to see Tech's Rashmi Teltumbde battle back for a 7-5 win in the second set. Bonacic pulled past 4-3, picked up a break and served for the win to send the match to doubles.
Texas Tech jumped out early at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles, while a battle ensued at No. 1.
Teltumbde and Sanders cruised to an easy 8-1 thrashing of Borau Ramos and Gomez Aleman at No. 2. Starck and Ullathorne followed suite with an 8-2 win over Kubickova and St. Hill and at No. 3 and Texas Tech had won the point and the match.
Adams and Kilgo had begun a charge back against Niedermayerova and Bonacic when the match was abandoned with the K-State team leading 6-4.
Texas Tech will now face No. 25 Texas in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Headington Family Tennis Center in Norman, Okla. This is a rematch of last season, when No. 13 Texas defeated No. 17 Texas Tech, 4-1, in the semifinals.
#17 Texas Tech 4, #54 Kansas State 3
Norman, Okla. (Headington Family Tennis Center)
Singles
1. #14 Petra Niedermayerova (K-STATE) def. #78 Samantha Adams (TT) 6-1, 6-2
2. Karla Bonacic (K-STATE) def. Rashmi Teltumbde (TT) 6-1, 5-7, 6-3
3. Kenna Kilgo (TT) def. Ivana Kubickova (K-STATE) 6-3, 6-0
4. Elizabeth Ullathorne (TT) def. Amina St. Hill (K-STATE) 6-3, 6-2
5. Nikki Sanders (TT) def. Ana Gomez Aleman (K-STATE) 6-0, 7-5
6. Carmen Borau Ramos (K-STATE) def. Caroline Starck (TT) 6-3, 6-3
Doubles
1. #17 Samantha Adams/Kenna Kilgo (TT) vs. #26 Petra Niedermayerova/Karla Bonacic (K-STATE) 4-6, unfinished
2. Rashmi Teltumbde/Nikki Sanders (TT) def. Carmen Borau Ramos/Ana Gomez Aleman (K-STATE) 8-1
3. Caroline Starck/Elizabeth Ullathorne (TT) def. Ivana Kubickova/Amina St. Hill (K-STATE) 8-2
Match Notes:
Kansas State 10-11; National ranking #54
Texas Tech 19-5; National ranking #17
Order of finish: Doubles (2,3); Singles (3,1,4,6,5,2)
Big 12 Championships Quarterfinals
T-3:19 A-200
