Baylor
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Kansas
Upset Victory Advances WT
4/27/2018 12:00:00 AM | Women's Tennis
By Jerry Hill
Baylor Bear Foundation
Looking nothing like the team that was completely dominated by Kansas in the Big 12 opener six weeks ago, the 26th-ranked Baylor women's tennis team rolled into the Big 12 Championship semifinals with a 4-2 victory over the Jayhawks Friday morning in Austin.
A pair of mid-year enrollees from Italy helped Baylor (17-12) upset the 18th-ranked and fourth-seeded Jayhawks (15-6) and reach the semifinals for the 14th time in 16 years under coach Joey Scrivano.
First, Giorgia Testa teamed with fellow freshman Dominika Sujova to clinch the doubles point with a 7-6(2) win over Janet Koch and Amber Policare, giving the Bears the early 1-0 lead. At the No. 1 spot, Theresa Van Zyl and Jessica Hinojosa gave Baylor a leg up with a 6-3 win over KU's Nina Khmelnitckaia and Tatiana Nikolaeva.
"The margins are so small, so every point matters," Scrivano said. "The doubles is a big point as far as the emotional momentum of the match. So, winning the doubles set the tone for us and probably put a little doubt in their minds."
Baylor seemed to be in control, winning four of the six first sets in singles and going up 2-0 on freshman Livia Kraus' dominating 6-1, 6-0 win over Nikolaeva at No. 5.
But, the Jayhawks fought back, winning at Nos. 1 and 4 singles to knot it at 2-2 and then splitting sets at two of the other spots. The window was open, even if just a little bit.
Sophomore Angie Shakhraichuk took the momentum back for the Bears with a straight-set win over Carla Pons Matorell, 6-3, 6-3, at No. 6.
And then it was the other Italian connection's turn to finish things. Pushed to a third set, sophomore Camilla Abbate dropped her serve with a chance to close it out before beating Koch, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, at No. 2.
Hinojosa was trailing Khmelnitckaia at No. 3, 3-6, 6-3, 5-3, when Abbate clinched it.
"Our entire team is filled with some really tough competitors," Scrivano said. "Jess has proven that she's just day-in and day-out one of our best players. And then Camilla, for a January (enrollee), has really done a great job of just being professional and showing a lot of maturity. Today was a great example of that. Both of them had their backs against the wall and they could have found a way to lose. Instead, they found a way to win."
Baylor, which has won six of its last seven and eight of its last 10 matches, will face top-seeded and sixth-ranked Texas (21-4) in the semifinals at 3 p.m. Saturday at the Texas Tennis Center. The Longhorns defeated the Bears, 4-0, in Austin just seven days ago to close out the regular season.
"I'm just really proud of our team," Scrivano said. "They competed really hard today. Their focus was way better than the last time we played Kansas. Now, they have an opportunity to advance and play a really tough Texas team. But, it's great. Anytime you can beat a top-20 team in postseason, that's a great step in the right direction."
THE RUNDOWN
AUSTIN, Texas -- With an upset victory over fourth-seeded and 18th-ranked Kansas on Friday morning, 4-2, Baylor advances to Big 12 Championship semifinal action for the 15th time in program history. The fifth-seeded and 26th-ranked Bears move on to meet top-seeded and sixth-ranked Texas at 3 p.m. (CT) on Saturday, April 28 at Texas Tennis Center.
In a tight match, the doubles point made a big difference for the Bears, as it provided the early advantage and momentum against a team they fell to during the regular season, 4-1.
Baylor's top pair of senior Theresa Van Zyl and sophomore Jessica Hinojosa made quick work in the No. 1 slot, recording a 6-3 win over Nina Khmelnitckaia and Tatiana Nikolaeva. After falling on court three evened it up, freshmen Dominika Sujova and Giorgia Testa outlasted Janet Koch and Amber Policare in tiebreak fashion, 7-6(7-2) for the critical first point.
Freshman Livia Kraus provided a cushion for the Bears, earning a dominant 6-1, 6-0 victory on court five against Nikolaeva.
Kansas battled back with consecutive wins on courts four and one, but Baylor regained control of the lead, 3-2, with a 6-3, 6-3 win by sophomore Angelina Shakhraichuk at No. 6 singles. With the team result on the line, sophomore Camilla Abbate clinched the three-hour and 10-minute match with a highly contested victory, 6-3, 1-6, 7-5, at No. 2 singles against Koch.
TOP QUOTES
"I'm really proud of our team, they just competed really hard today. Their focus was way better than the first time we played Kansas, and now they have an opportunity to advance and play a really tough Texas team. It's a great thing any time you can beat a Top 20 team in the postseason. That's a great step in the right direction." -- Head coach Joey Scrivano
"I feel happy to get this victory against this team because we lost the first time. It's emotional to advance over them in the Big 12 Championships." -- Sophomore Camilla Abbate
OTHER NOTABLES
- Baylor is 31-13 (.705) all-time in the Big 12 Championships.
- The Bears have advanced in the Big 12 Championships 15 times overall and 14 times under the direction of head coach Joey Scrivano.
- Baylor is 17-12 on the year and is 7-10 against ranked opponents this season.
- Freshman Livia Kraus extends her singles win streak to seven-straight.
- Kraus leads the way for the Bears with 23 victories on the year, including 16 in dual match action.
- Two of Baylor's doubles pairs played together for the first time in their careers in the quarterfinal (freshmen Giorgia Testa and Dominika Sujova; sophomore Angelina Shakhraichuk and freshman Kristina Sorokolet).
UP NEXT
Baylor advances to meet Texas in the 3 p.m. (CT) Big 12 Championships semifinal match on Saturday, April 28 at Texas Tennis Center.
Fans can keep up with Big 12 Championship action through live scoring and live video. Links to both are available on the women's tennis schedule page at www.baylorbears.com. For additional behind the scenes postseason content, follow the team's social media accounts (@BaylorWTennis on Twitter and Instagram, /BaylorWTennis on Facebook).
Players Mentioned
