Tigers Rebound to Defeat No. 26 Kentucky Sunday at ITA Indoors

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – After falling to No. 2 Florida 4-3 and No. 15 Michigan 4-2 earlier in the weekend, the 13^th-ranked Clemson women’s tennis team defeated No. 26 Kentucky 4-2 on Sunday evening in the team’s third match of the ITA Team Indoor Championships. With the win, the Tigers move to 4-3 and the Wildcats fall to 7-4.

For the third consecutive match, Clemson won the doubles point to take an early 1-0 lead. The Tigers earned wins on courts one and two as the second-ranked duo of Beatrice Gumulya and Jessy Rompies and Romy Koelzer and Tristen Dewar won 6-1 and 6-2, respectively. Joana Eidukonyte and Daniela Ruiz were tied 4-4 on court three when Clemson clinched the doubles point.

No. 27 Joana Eidukonyte, playing at number two for the first time all season, started off singles play with a 6-1, 6-3 win and gave the Tigers a 2-0 advantage. Eidukonyte won all three of her singles matches in straight sets over the weekend to pace the Tigers. After Eidukonyte’s win, Ruiz fell on court six, but Tristen Dewar swung the momentum back with a 6-4, 6-1 win on court five. The Wildcats won on court one as Ravita defeated No. 85 Romy Koelzer and Clemson’s lead was again down to one, with the matching coming down to results on courts three and four. After trailing 5-3 in the third set, Rompies sealed the deal for the Tigers on court 4, winning 7-5. Gumulya led 6-5 in the third set when Rompies won to secure the Clemson victory.

The Tigers return to action Feb. 15 on the road at No. 6 Baylor at 1 p.m. ET in Waco, Texas.

#13 Clemson 4, #26 Kentucky 2

SINGLES1. Nadia Ravita (UK) def. #85 Romy Koelzer (CU) 7-6, 1-6, 6-22. #27 Joana Eidukonyte (CU) def. Kelsey Dieters (UK) 6-1, 6-33. Beatrice Gumulya (CU) vs. Mami Adachi (UK) 6-4, 3-6, 6-5 unfinished 4. Jessy Rompies (CU) def. Kirsten Lewis (UK) 6-0, 2-6, 7-55. Tristen Dewar (CU) def. Caterina Brunamonti (UK) 6-4, 6-16. Taylor Lederman (UK) def. Daniela Ruiz (CU) 6-2, 6-Order of finish: 2, 6, 5, 1, 4 

DOUBLES1.#2 Gumulya/Rompies (CU) def. Dieters/Adachi (UK) 6-12. Dewar/Koelzer (CU) def. Ravita/Lederman (UK) 6-23. Eidukonyte/Ruiz (CU) vs. Lewis/Morin-Kougoucheff (UK) 4-4, unfinishedOrder of finish: 1, 2