KU tennis claims home opener, 7-2

Playing indoors suited Kansas University’s tennis team just fine Saturday.

Competing at Alvamar Racquet Club because of the recent inclement weather, the Jayhawks won their home opener, 7-2, over Wichita State.

Three Jayhawks won both their singles and doubles matches, including the No. 2 doubles duo of Paige Brown and Emily Haylock. The pair defeated Martina Stojkic and Sarah Dangos, 8-1, for Kansas’ first win.

Brown, a freshman from Amarillo, Texas, then won her singles match against Dangos, 6-0, 6-0.

“I was kind of nervous because it was my first dual,” Brown said, “but my teammates told me to just have fun because that’s what matters so that was my goal.”

Haylock was successful flying solo as well, defeating Annelie van der Heever, 7-5, 6-2.

“I had a lapse for a couple of games, but then I came back so it was all right,” Haylock said of her first singles game. “When I was up, I was playing aggressive and getting into the net, which is how I play, and then I started losing a few groundstrokes and kind of got down a little bit but then I picked myself back up.”

Aurelie Bajar, who joined the squad in January, also went 2-0 against the Shockers. Bajar defeated Stein, 6-3, 7-5, in singles and teamed with Cheryl Mallaiah to win No. 3 doubles, 8-2.

Both the Nos. 2 and 3 doubles teams were playing together for the first time, so KU coach Kilmeny Waterman was pleased with their dominant victories.

“I was really happy,” Waterman said. “They both looked very strong and really ready to play. Those are our new teams so that was a very positive thing today.”

The Jayhawks other two victories came in singles. Courtney Steinbock defeated Stojkic, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0, and Kim Lorenz topped Guzman, 6-1, 6-2.

Wichita State’s Amanda Cervantes topped Mallaiah, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4), in a hard-fought battle at No. 1 singles, and Cervantes paired with Van Den Heever to topple Steinbock and her twin sister, Kristen, 8-6, at No. 1 doubles.

“That was disappointing,” Waterman said of the twins’ loss, “but obviously that team has been together and I know they can play. They were a little nervous coming out in the first match and hadn’t had enough practice.”

The Jayhawks will face Tulsa at 2 p.m. Saturday at Alvamar. The Golden Hurricane are 3-0 and ranked 51st in the latest Intercollegiate Tennis Assn. national rankings two spots ahead of the Jayhawks.

“Tulsa is one of the top regional teams so that’s going to be a really tough match,” Waterman said. “We’ve got to make many fewer errors, all the way down the line, and play a little smarter. They’re a very experienced and older team.”


Singles

Amanda Cervantes, WSU, def. Cheryl Mallaiah, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (7-4).

Emily Haylock, KU, def. Annelie Van Den Heever, 7-5, 6-2.

Courtney Steinbock, KU, def. Martina Stojkic, 6-3, 3-6, 6-0.

Paige Brown, KU, def. Sarah Beth Dargos, 6-0, 6-0.

Aurelie Bejar, KU, def. Cherise Stein, 6-3, 7-5.

Kim Lorenz, KU, def. Natalia Guzman, 6-1, 6-2.

Doubles

Cervantes/Van Den Heever def. Steinbock/Kristen Steinbock, 8-6.

Mallaiah/Bejar def. Stojkic/Dargos, 8-2.

Haylock/Brown def. Stein/Guzman, 8-1.