No. 17-ranked Kansas defeated TCU emphatically Sunday afternoon, 6-1, at the Jayhawk Tennis Center.
Kansas’ Maria Toran Ribes and Malkia Ngounoue started off the doubles competition, blanking Mercedes Aristegui and Kate Paulus, 6-0. Jayhawks Anastasia Rychagova and Sonia Smagina, ranked No. 61 in the nation, then recorded a come-from-behind victory over Chloe Hule and Stevie Kennedy at No. 2 doubles.
With Smagina serving, the Jayhawk duo trailed 4-5, 15-40, before winning three-straight points to even the set. They then won two more games to take the set, 7-5, giving Kansas the doubles point. The Jayhawks (13-4, 4-2 Big 12) have opened the 2019 season by securing the doubles point in 11-straight matches.
Ngounoue defeated Addy Guevara, 6-0, 6-2, at No. 6 singles. No. 101-ranked Janet Koch then beat Cveticanin at No. 2 singles, 6-4, 6-2, moving Kansas one point away from the win.
For the second time this weekend, Rychagova, the nation’s No. 23-ranked singles player, triumphed over a ranked opponent at No. 1 singles to claim the Jayhawks’ victory. On Sunday, Rychagova defeated No. 112-ranked Douglas, 6-4, 6-2, giving Kansas a 4-0 lead and clinching the match. Plobrung Plipuech and Nina Khmelnitckaia also netted victories in singles play.
Kansas will take on Iowa State at 5 p.m. Friday
