Colorado
Kansas State
Buffs Upset No. 8 Seed K-State, 4-1
April 29, 2010 | Tennis
Colorado seeded No. 9 advances to the quarterfinal round for the fourth straight season and will take on the nation's top ranked and number one seed Baylor Bears (24-2, 11-0 Big 12) at 9 a.m. (MDT) on Friday.
Today's matchup with K-State was the second meeting between the two schools in exactly 20 days with the Buffaloes taking a 4-3 win in Boulder on April 9.
Unlike three weeks ago, the Buffaloes didn't have to rally in the singles portion like they did the first time. After securing the doubles point, CU built on singles victories from senior Monica Milewski, junior Abbie Probert and freshman Erin Sanders.
All three student-athletes defeated their respective K-State opponent on April 9. Milewski and Sanders defeated the same opponent, while Probert defeated someone different.
"We knew it was going to be a really tight match against Kansas State as we had a really close match with them during the regular season," CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. "Both teams went in with a little different lineup but I was really happy with the way we competed. We had some tough starts on a couple of matches, but we fought back hard. All in all it was a great team match and a great team victory and we look forward to taking on Baylor tomorrow."
The competition started with the Buffs clinching the doubles point with a pair of 8-6 winners at the No. 2 and No. 3 slots, respectively. Sanders and sophomore Ania Anuszkiewicz were the first ones off the court at No. 3 defeating Nina Sertic and Petra Chuda.
Probert and sophomore Michala Hedelund Jensen rallied from a 6-3 deficit at No. 2 for the decisive doubles point with five consecutive points over Ana Gomez Aleman/Carmen Borau-Ramos. It's the fourth time this spring Hedelund Jensen/Probert have clinched a CU team victory and it was the tandem's ninth victory of the spring.
In singles, K-State evened the team score at one taking the No. 2 line in straight sets.
After that, it was all CU playing the No. 9 seed in the tournament for the first time since 2006 as Milewski put the Buffaloes ahead to stay, defeating Antea Huljev, 6-0, 6-4 for her personal-best 26th singles win of the year. The CU Sports Performers of the Year (CUSPY) Female Career Athletic Achievement Award winner tied her spring-best 16th victory, in addition tallying her 91st career singles win.
The No. 59th nationally ranked player has won 14 of her last 16 singles matches.
CU made it 3-1 as Probert cruised to a 6-2, 6-4 winner over Ana Gomez Aleman at No. 3 for her personal-best 16th win of the year. It was also her fifth win at the No. 3 slot.
Sanders followed and clinched the match - second of her career (No. 65 BYU) with a three-set winner over Petra Chuda, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. The Parker, Colo. native won for the 13th time of the year and secured her third set match winner of the season.
Colorado 4, Kansas State 1
CU (11-12), K-State (7-13)
April 29, Penick-Allison Tennis Center, Austin, Texas
1d) Esposito/Milewski (CU) vs. Bonacic/Huljev (K-State) 7-6, match suspended
2d) Hedelund Jensen/Probert (CU) def. Gomez Aleman/Borau Ramos (K-State) 8-6
3d) Anuszkiewicz/Sanders (CU) def. Sertic/Chuda (K-State) 8-6
Order of Finish: 3, *2
1s) (59) Monica Milewski (CU) def. Antea Huljev (K-State) 6-0, 6-4
2s) Karla Bonacic (K-State) def. (117) Melisa Esposito (CU) 6-2, 6-0
3s) Abbie Probert (CU) def. Ana Gomez Aleman (K-State) 6-2, 6-4
4s) Michala Hedelund Jensen (CU) vs. Nina Sertic (K-State) 6-4, 6-7(3), 0-0 - suspended
5s) Ania Anuszkiewicz (CU) vs. Carmen Borau-Ramos (K-State) 7-5, 4-6, 1-3 - suspended
6s) Erin Sanders (CU) def. Petra Chuda (K-State) 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3, *6
COLORADO MATCH NOTES
- In the Big 12 Tennis Championship history, the No. 8 seed is 8-5 against the No. 9 seed.
- Only once in the 14-year history as the No. 1 seed been eliminated in the quarterfinals (2003, No. 8 CU defeated No. 1 Baylor, 4-2).
- Abbie Probert earned her 52nd career doubles win, while Michala Hedelund Jensen picked up her 31st.
- Ania Anuszkiewicz and Erin Sanders won their 28 and 13 doubles matches, respectively.
- Milewski's 91st career single win (77 doubles wins) improves her school record combined wins to 168.
- Of her 91 wins, 67 of them came in straight-sets.
- Probert won her 37th career singles match with 31 of them in straight sets. The 37 wins moves her into 36th place in school history.
- Milewski secured her 28th Big 12 Conference singles win (4th at CU); Probert netted her 12th (t-17th).
- In doubles, Probert notched her 21st career Big 12 win (t-8th).
- CU also broke a four-match losing streak.
Players Mentioned
