Tennis readies for tough matches

Baylor brings winning record, tough competition

By Rustin Dodd

Friday, March 30, 2007

The Kansas tennis team returns to the court today after an 18-day break to face No. 16 Baylor in Waco, Texas. Baylor, a team that has won four straight times against Kansas, features three singles players ranked in the top 100 of the ITA Collegiate Tennis Rankings, and the No. 38 ranked doubles team.

Coach Amy Hall-Holt said her team had to make up for the talent gap by outworking Baylor.

“We just need to compete as hard as we can,” Hall-Holt said. “We need to go in with an open mind, and we are coming off a good week of practice.”

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You need to come in with a determined attitude and stay in it mentally.

Amy Hall-Holt, Kansas tennis coach

Kansas (4-9, 2-2) last competed as a team in a 5-2 home loss to Louisville on March 11, but Hall-Holt said that four players were able to get in some individual work during a spring break trip to Arizona. Baylor is coming off a Big 12 Championship and will be the highest-ranked opponent Kansas has faced during a season that has already seen eight opponents ranked in the Top 75 of the ITA rankings.

The last time these two teams met was in the quarterfinal of the Big 12 Championships last year. Baylor won 4-0.

Junior Zuzana Zemenova headlines a potent Baylor squad at No. 1 singles. Zemenova, a two-time ITA All-American, won the NCAA Singles title in 2005, and went undefeated in conference play a year ago.

Kansas freshman Kunigunda Dorn earned her first appearance at No. 1 singles against Louisville, losing a three-set match. She could be called on to face Zemenova.

Junior Elizaveta Avdeeva played at the No. 1 position the first 12 matches of the season and could also return to that spot against Baylor.

Hall-Holt said that whoever plays Zemenova has to outcompete her.

“You need to come in with a determined attitude and stay in it mentally,” Hall-Holt said.

Kansas has sole possession of sixth place in the Big 12 with a 2-2 conference mark. Hall-Holt said she was proud of the way her team had handled adversity this season. She has also been impressed by the improved play of sophomores Edina Horvath and Yuliana Svistun. Horvath has combined with Avdeeva at the No. 1 doubles spot and registered an 11-2 record with a 4-0 record in Big 12 matches.

Svistun has shown great progress during her sophomore campaign. Svistun has a 3-1 record at the No. 5 singles position.

“Not being in the lineup last year, and now this year she’s playing No. 5 and having a great winning record,” Hall-Holt said.

After playing Baylor, Kansas will travel to Lubbock, Texas, to take on No. 69 Texas Tech on Sunday.

Kansan sportswriter Rustin Dodd can be contacted at rdodd@kansan.com.

— Edited by Kelly Lanigan

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