ATHENS, Ga. The Kansas State women’s tennis team started play in the Georgia Invitational on Friday at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex with the debut of a new player in the lineup.

The Wildcats started the day with doubles play against Mississippi State with the best effort in coming from the newest tandem of Vanessa Cottin and Pauline Guemas. Each player in this pairing is from France, with Cottin joining the team before the start of the second semester from Ouainville.

Guemas, a product of St. Fort, registered a 2-5 mark in singles play during the fall and did not make an appearance in doubles play. On Friday, the French connection fell to Valeriya Makarycheva and DeAndra Saddler of Mississippi State, 8-6.

In singles play, Cottin was setdown by Cameron Ellis of Georgia in Flight A, 6-0, 6-1. Also in Flight A, junior Katerina Kudlackova fell to Monika Dancevic of Georgia, 7-5, 6-0. In Flight B, Guemas was defeated by Adrienne Elsberry of Georgia, 6-2, 6-1.

Kansas State will continue action at the Georgia Invitational on Saturday and Sunday. The Wildcats will take on the host Bulldogs in doubles action at 8 a.m. (CT) and Troy in singles action beginning at 11:30 a.m. (CT).

Georgia Invitational Day 1 Results

Doubles

Flight A

Martina Banikova/Elna de Villiers (MSU) def. Olga Klimova/Katerina Kudlackova (KSU), 8-1

Flight B

Radka Ferancova/Renee Joseph (MSU) def. Natasha Vieira/Viviana Yrureta (KSU), 8-4

Flight C

Valeriya Makarycheva/DeAndra Saddler (MSU) def. Vanessa Cottin/Pauline Guemas (KSU), 8-6

Singles

Flight A

Monika Dancevic (UGA) def. Katerina Kudlackova (KSU), 7-5, 6-0

Cameron Ellis (UGA) def. Vanessa Cottin (KSU), 6-0, 6-1

Flight B