Jan. 18, 2011

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State women’s tennis begins its 36th season of action this weekend, as the Wildcats host New Mexico on Friday at 5 p.m., and Drake on Sunday at noon. Both matches will be contested at Body First Tennis and Fitness Center. The matches are free and open to the public, with Sunday’s match offering kids the opportunity to participate in the USTA Campus Kids’ Day.

K-State (7-13, 4-7 Big 12) is coming off its best Big 12 record since the 2006 season and the most overall victories since the 2008 campaign. The 2010 season also featured the following highlights:

• K-State registered the first 7-0 win in the program’s history over Kansas.
• The Wildcats defeated No. 70 ranked Texas Tech, 5-2, on April 25.
• Antea Huljev defeated a pair of ranked opponents in singles action (63) Elze Potgieter of Texas A&M and (88) Ana-Maria Constantinescu of Oklahoma.
• Freshmen Karla Bonacic (12), Carmen Borau Ramos (10) and Ana Gomez Aleman (11) all captured 10 or more singles victories.
• Three Wildcats were named to the Academic All-Big 12 first team: Petra Chuda, Nina Sertic and Natasha Vieira.

K-State’s meeting with New Mexico will be the 13th in the history of the series, with the Lobos holding a 9-3 advantage. The Wildcats captured last year’s meeting in Albuquerque, 7-0. The squad’s have split the last four meetings.

Kansas State and Drake will also meet for the 13th time, as the Wildcats hold an 8-4 edge in the series with the Bulldogs. The Wildcats have won the last seven meetings between the schools, including last year’s matchup, 6-1, in Des Moines, Iowa.

USTA Campus Kids’ Day
Sunday’s match against Drake will mark K-State’s particpation in the 2011 USTA Campus Kids’ Day, which is a national initiative designed to expose more junior players, their parents and coaches to college tennis varsity team matches. All kids in the sixth grade and below are eligible to participate in the day’s event and kids can sign-up at the door.

All participating kids will receive a free K-State women’s tennis t-shirt, as well as a Planet Sub sandwich and a drink. Kids will also have the opportunity to participate in a game of knockout on the court between matches.

2010-11 Tournament Recap
The Wildcats were led in the 2010-11 tournament schedule by senior Antea Huljev, junior Nina Sertic, sophomore Karla Bonacic and freshman Petra Niedermayerova.

Huljev finished with a 4-4 singles record, including her third straight season with a victory at the ITA Central Regional. With two singles wins this spring, she will surpass the 50-win plateau for her career (48-62).

Sertic advanced to the finals of a pair of fall events and finished with a 6-5 record. In her final eight matches, Sertic carded a 5-3 record.

Bonacic and Niedermayerova were paired together early in the fall campaign to form a strong doubles tandem. The duo advanced at the ITA Central Regional and finished with a 7-5 record together. The tandem’s strongest outing came at the Hoosier Classic, as they registered a 3-1 record.

Niedermayerova also showed the ability to adjust quickly in singles play, as she tallied a 5-5 record. The native of Brno, Czech Republic registered her first career win over a ranked opponent, as she set down No. 67 Nadja Gilchrist of Georgia, 6-2, 6-4 at the Georgia Invitational.

K-State to Host Season Kick-Off
Kansas State women’s tennis will host its annual season kickoff event on Friday, Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. The event will take place at Body First Tennis and Fitness Center.

The event will give the K-State fan base the opportunity to play mixed doubles with the Wildcats, while also learning about the 2011 edition of the team. All ages are welcome to participate in the event.