FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – No. 14 seed Mississippi State was eliminated in the first round of the SEC Women’s Tennis Championship on Wednesday, dropping a 4-1 decision to 11th-seeded Kentucky at the Billingsley Tennis Center on the University of Arkansas campus.
Prior the match, the Southeastern Conference awarded Emmanouela Antonaki SEC Women’s Tennis Scholar-Athlete of the Year for her outstanding performance in the classroom and on the court.
No. 68 Antonaki earned the lone point for MSU, defeating 42nd-ranked Florence Urrutia 6-4, 6-3. With the win Antonaki moves to State’s all-time leader for career combined wins – singles and doubles – with a record of 179-123.
Earlier in the season Antonaki also took the No. 1 spot in the MSU record book for career singles wins. After today’s win she now has 98 career singles wins.
The Bulldog duo of Sydney Hrehor and Alexandra Mikhailuk were up 5-4 on Court 3 in doubles before the Wildcats claimed Courts 1 and 2 to take the doubles point.
Maddie Bemisderfer and Gia Cohen fell to the No. 22 tandem of Carlota Molina and Elizabeth Stevens 6-4 while Antonaki and Niroshan dropped 6-2 to Urrutia and Ellie Eades.
No. 118 beat MSU’s Gia Cohen 7-5, 6-3, Molina downed Niroshan 6-2, 6-2 and Kentucky’s Zoe Hammond defeated Emily Surcey 6-3, 6-3.
For more information on the Bulldog women’s tennis program, visit HailState.com or search for “HailStateWT” on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Kentucky 4, Mississippi State 1
Billingsley Tennis Center | Fayetteville, Ark.
April 19, 2023
Doubles
1. #22 Carlota Molina/Elizabeth Stevens (UK) def. Gia Cohen/Maddie Bemisderfer (MSU) 6-4
2. Ellie Eades/Florence Urrutia (UK) def. Emmanouela Antonaki/Dharani Niroshan (MSU) 6-2
3. Alexandra Mikhailuk/Sydney Hrehor (MSU) def. Zoe Hammond/Lidia Gonzalez (UK) 5-4
Order of finish: (2,1)
Singles
1. #68 Emmanouela Antonaki (MSU) def. #42 Florence Urrutia (UK) 6-4, 6-3
2. #118 Elizabeth Stevens (UK) def. Gia Cohen (MSU) 7-5, 6-3
3. Carlota Molina (UK) def. Dharani Niroshan (MSU) 6-2, 6-2
4. Lidia Gonzalez (UK) vs. Alexandra Mikhailuk (MSU) 3-6, 6-2, unfinished
5. Zoe Hammond (UK) def. Emily Surcey (MSU) 6-3, 6-3
6. Maialen Morante (UK) vs. Maria Rizzolo (MSU) 5-7, 2-4, unfinished
Order of finish: (3,5,1,2)