WICHITA, Kan. – The Wichita State women's tennis team fell short to No. 11 Kansas, 7-0, Friday at the Wichita Country Club.
 
DOUBLES
Kansas got on the board early in doubles action, where No. 5 Nina Khmelnitckaia and Janet Koch defeated WSU's number one tandem, Esther Thebault and Sarvinoz Saidhujaeva, 6-3. The Shocker pair jumped out to an early 3-1 lead, before Khmelnitckaia and Koch reeled off five-straight games to win the set.
 
A battle ensued in the final two courts, with botch matches coming down to the wire. Marta Bellucco and Sandra Honigova trailed Anastasia Rychagova and Sonia Smagina early, 2-0. The two traded games, before reaching a tie at five. On court three, it was tight between Ting-Ya Hsu and newcomer Lingwei Kong, competing in her first collegiate match. After tying the match at three, Malkia Ngounoue and Maria Toran Ribes took three of the last four games to clinch the doubles point, 6-4.
 
SINGLES
The Jayhawks raced out to a 2-0 after Plobrung Plipuech defeated freshman Lingwei Kong on court three, 6-0, 6-0.
 
Honigova competed in the top flight, where she took on Rychagova, who ranks No. 109 in singles action. Honigova raced out to a 5-4 lead in the first set, before Rychagova rallied to win the final three games and take the set, 7-5. Rychagova grabbed the second set (6-3) to win the match and push the Kansas lead to 3-0. Bellucco faced off against Khmelnitckaia on court four, falling 6-2 in the first set. The junior from Italy battled back in the second, taking a 5-4 lead over No. 70-ranked Khmelnitckaia. Khmelnitckaia rallied to take the final three games, and the set (7-5) – pushing the Jayhawk lead to 4-0.
 
Thebault went three-sets with Kansas' Koch, who ranks No. 34 in the most recent ITA/Oracle Singles Rankings. Thebault rolled through the first set, winning 6-3. Koch battled back to take the second (6-3) to force a decisive third. Thebault trailed 5-2, before taking two-straight games and cut the lead to 5-4. Koch took the final two games to give KU a 5-0 lead.
 
KU took a 6-0 lead with a straight set win on court five. Toran Ribes defeated Hsu, 6-2, 6-3. Smagina made the score 7-0 on court six, with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Alexandra Lazarova.

UP NEXT: The Shockers take on Mizzou next Wednesday at 1 p.m. The match is scheduled to take place at the Wichita Country Club.
 

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No. 11 Kansas 7, WSU 0

Doubles
#5 Janet Koch/Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) def.  Sarnivoz Saidhujaeva/Esther Thebault (WSU), 6-3
#27 Anastasia Rychagova/Sonia Smagina (KU) vs. Marta Bellucco/Sandra Honigova (WSU), 6-5 unfinished
Malkia Ngounoue/Maria Toran Ribes (KU) def. Ting-Ya Hsu/Lingwei Kong (WSU), 6-4
 
Singles
#109 Anastasia Rychagova (KU) def. Sandra Honigova (WSU), 7-5, 6-3
#34 Janet Koch (KU) def. Esther Thebault (WSU), 3-6, 6-3, 6-4
Plobrung Plipuech (KU) def. Lingwei Kong (WSU), 6-0, 6-0
#70 Nina Khmelnitckaia (KU) def. Marta Bellucco (WSU), 6-2, 7-5
Maria Toran Ribes (KU) def. Ting-Ya Hsu (WSU), 6-2, 6-3
Sonia Smagina (KU) def. Alexandra Lazarova (WSU), 6-1, 6-2

Order of Finish: Doubles (1,3); Singles (3,1,4,2,5,6)