FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – The 16th-ranked Florida Gators women’s tennis team fell to No. 15 Arkansas, 4-0, Sunday at the Dills Indoor Tennis Center. The loss dropped coach Roland Thornqvist’s Gators to 10-8 overall and 4-4 in Southeastern Conference play.
Arkansas (10-6, 5-3) clinched the doubles point with victories at Nos. 2 and 3. Aurelija Miseviciute and Ela Kaluder of Arkansas beat Marrit Boonstra and Jo Mather, 8-6, at No. 2 doubles and Emily Carbone and Kate Lukomskava of Arkansas beat Barbara Pinterova and Brooke Allen, 8-3. Play at the No. 1 court was halted once the Razorbacks had clinced the doubles point.
In the singles play, Carbone beat Florida’s Jessica Alexander, 6-3, 6-0, at No. 4 singles and Lukomskaya downed Brooke Allen, 6-1, 6-4, at No. 6 singles for a 3-0 Arkansas lead.
That left it up to Florida’s No. 1 singles player, junior Boonstra, who is ranked No. 8 nationally, to try and save the day. Boonstra, who started the season with 15 straight victories, suffered her second setback in a row when fifth-ranked Miseviciute scored a 6-2, 6-4 victory.
Florida’s Mather and Pinterova were ahead in their matches when play was called after the clinching point so the Gators could get started home a little earlier.
Florida plays its final three matches in Linder Stadium at the Ring Tennis Complex, starting Friday at 3 p.m. against Alabama and Sunday at 1 p.m. against Auburn.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Dills Indoor Tennis Center, Fayetteville, Ark.
ARKANSAS 4, FLORIDA 0
DOUBLES
1. (29) Anouk Tigu/Nanar Airapetian (UA) led Jessica Alexander/Anastasia Revzina, 5-4.
2. (62) Aurelija Miseviciute/Ela Kaluder (UA) def. Marrit Boonstra/Jo Mather, 8-6.
3. Emily Carbone/Kate Lukomskaya (UA) def. Barbara Pinterova/Brooke Allen, 8-3.
Arkansas clinched doubles point, 2-0.
SINGLES
1. (5) Aurelija Miseviciute (UA) def. (8) Marrit Boonstra, 6-2, 6-4.
2. (71) Anouk Tigu (UA) led Anastasia Revzina, 6-3, 4-6.
3. Jo Mather (UF) led Ela Kaluder, 6-4, 3-3.
4. Emily Carbone (UA) def. Jessica Alexander, 6-3, 6-0.
5. Barbara Pinterova (UF) led Nanar Airapetian, 7-6 (6-2), 3-2.
6. Kate Lukomskaya (UA) def. Brooke Allen, 6-1, 6-4.
Order of finish: Doubles – 3, 2; Singles – 4, 6, 1.