ATHENS, Ga. Kansas State needed tie-breakers or an extra game to get through five of their six singles matches on Saturday at the Georgia Invitational but emerged victorious in four to cap another strong day. The Wildcats were swept in morning doubles play by Georgia and dropped the first two singles matches to Troy before rallying for four wins to close out Saturday’s play at the Lindsey Hopkins Indoor Tennis Complex.

“These were the kind of matches we came here to play - very tough matches where if we play well, we have a shot to win, and if you don’t, you probably won’t,” K-State head coach Steve Bietau said.

Tamar Kvaratskhelia lost a three-set tie-break to Troy’s Rawia Elsisi and Katerina Kudlackova dropped a 7-5, 7-6(5) match before the Wildcats rallied to close the afternoon with four straight singles wins. Jessica Simosa topped Claudia Strauss in straight sets to start the Wildcat run.

Maria Perevoschikova and Fernanda Da Valle both needed a third set to finish off their opponents and Tereza Prochazkova ended the strenuous day with a 6-4, 7-6(4) tie-break win against Shamiaa Elsisi.

“We started with Jessica at three, and we pretty much cruised through her match,” Bietau said. “Masha, Fernanda and Tereza all did a great job and pulled out their singles matches.”

For the second straight day Kansas State was swept by Georgia, who has yet to drop a singles or doubles match at their home tournament. The Wildcats concluded mock dual play with the pre-season No. 7 team in the nation following their doubles matches Saturday morning.

“We played a lot of competitive games but were never able to seriously threaten them,” Bietau said of Georgia.

Kansas State concludes tournament play on Sunday when they face Troy in doubles and Mississippi State in singles. The Wildcats begin dual play next Saturday by hosting Drake at noon at the Cottonwood Racquet Club in Manhattan.

“Hopefully we can have another day like this tomorrow and come home with a little more confidence and a stronger feeling about how we can play,” Bietau said.

2006 Georgia Bulldog Invitational

Hopkins Indoor Tennis Center University of Georgia

Day Two Results

Saturday, January 21

Singles
Rawia Elsisi (Troy) def. Tamar Kvaratskhelia (KSU), 6-4, 4-6, 7-6(7)
Tsitsi Masviba (Troy) def. Katerina Kudlackova (KSU), 7-5, 7-6(5)
Jessica Simosa (KSU) def. Claudia Strauss (Troy), 6-2, 6-1
Maria Perevoschikova (KSU) def. Annabelle Bares (Troy), 7-5, 4-6, 6-0
Fernanda Da Valle (KSU) def. Suzanne Jones (Troy), 7-5, 2-6, 6-1
Tereza Prochazkova (KSU) def. Shamiaa Elsisi (Troy), 6-4, 7-6(4)

Doubles
(12) Caroline Basu/Shadisha Robinson (UGA) def. Katerina Kudlackova/Jessica Simosa (KSU), 8-5
(20) Darya Ivanov/Evgenia Subbotina (UGA) def. Fernanda Da Valle/Olga Klimova (KSU), 8-3
Natalie Frazier/Kelley Hyndman (UGA) def.  Tamar Kvarastskhelia/Maria Perevoschikova (KSU), 8-2