The Kentucky women’s tennis team lost to No. 3 Auburn by a score of 4-0 on March 14 in Auburn, Alabama. The Wildcats, now with an overall record of 8-8 and winless in Southeastern Conference play, were unable to secure a point against the Tigers, who improved their record to 23-1.
This match was significant for Kentucky as it continued their search for a conference victory this season. Facing one of the top-ranked teams in the country, the Wildcats showed moments of promise but ultimately could not overcome Auburn’s strong lineup.
In doubles play, Kentucky’s freshmen duo Donna Le Roux and Elena Molla fell behind early and lost their match 6-0 on court three. On court two, freshman Reese Sager and sophomore Asuncion Jadue led their match 4-3 when play was halted after Auburn clinched the doubles point with DJ Bennett and Ava Esposito defeating Zoe Hammond and Julia Zhu 6-1 on court one.
During singles competition, Sager provided a highlight for Kentucky by taking the first set against Merna Refaat on court three. However, Auburn extended its lead with wins from DJ Bennett over Zoe Hammond (6-2, 6-3) and Ekaterina Khairutdinova over Julia Zhu (6-1, 6-4). The Tigers secured the overall victory when Niki Daubnerova defeated Le Roux (7-5, 6-4) on court six.
The Wildcats will return home to face Texas at noon Friday at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex before traveling to Texas A&M later in the weekend.
