Incredible season comes to an end for UK Women’s Tennis in Round of 16

May 25, 2021

Bryan Kennedy,

ORLANDO (UK Athletics) – An incredible run by Kentucky women’s tennis’ No. 1 doubles tandem of Akvilė Paražinskaitė and Fiona Arrese came to an end in the round of 16 at the NCAA Doubles Championship at the UTSA National Campus in Orlando on Tuesday. The Wildcats fell 6-3, 6-2 to UCLA’s Elysia Bolton and Jada Hart.

Kentucky could not overcome the Bruins’ tough serving which held serve for the duration of the match.

Today’s loss will not diminish the run UK’s top-ranked duo enjoyed in 2021. Paražinskaitė and Arrese were the Southeastern Conference’s automatic qualifiers in the 32-team doubles tournament and the first Wildcats to be ranked No. 1 since Mami Adachi and Aldila Sutjiadi in 2016.

The duo is the first doubles tandem to earn a No. 1 overall seed entering the tournament under head coach Carlos Drada. Adachi and Sutjiadi held the ITA No. 1 ranking but were seeded No. 2 for the tournament.

Paražinskaitė and Arrese were named to the first team of the All-SEC Tennis Team. The honors were the first of their careers. They will also pick up All-America accolades for earning the No. 1 seed in the doubles draw.

The duo amassed a 21-5 overall record on the season, including a 7-4 mark against ranked foes.

UCLA captured the first three games in the opening set to gain a 3-0 advantage it would not relinquish. UK could not earn a breakpoint and the Bruins earned a 6-3 opening-set victory.

The Wildcats overcame a deficit in their opening-round victory over Wake Forest’s Brooke Killingsworth and Anna Brylin yesterday to advance to the round of 16 but could not produce the same magic against UCLA.

Kentucky appeared to get off to a good start in the second set when it won the opening game, but the Bruins responded by taking each of the next four to go ahead 4-1. UCLA then held serve and won 6-2 to earn the upset victory.

With the loss, Kentucky’s season comes to an end. Paražinskaitė concludes her career having made an appearance in both the singles’ and doubles’ draw in her final season in the Blue and White.