LEXINGTON, Ky. - Daniela Hlacikova, the 2021 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Co-Freshman of the Year, notched a singles victory as Southeast Missouri women's tennis (0-2), the 2021 OVC Regular-Season Champions, dropped its season-opening doubleheader to Kentucky (6-0) Sunday at the Hilary J. Boone Tennis Complex.
 
SEMO dropped the doubleheader opener, 6-1, before falling in the finale, 4-0, to the Wildcats of the Southeastern Conference (SEC).
 
Hlacikova, a sophomore from Banská Bystrica, Slovakia, defeated Fiona Arrese, 5-7, 6-0, 6-1, at third singles in the morning match. 
 
Kentucky won the doubles point to start both matches. 
 
Match #1 
The #59-ranked doubles team of Elizabeth Stevens and Carlota Molina beat Romana Tarajova and Myroslava Zelenchuk, 6-2, before Lidia Gonzalez and Carla Girbau defeated Lera Valeeva and Ksenia Shikanova, 6-3, at the top two doubles positions. 
 
When the competition switched to singles, the Wildcats won five of the six matches. 
 
Florencia Urrutia beat Shikanova, 6-3, 6-1, at No. 4 singles.
 
Hlacikova then recorded her singles victory at the third lineup spot to cut the Kentucky lead to 2-1. 
 
Molina, who is ranked #100 for singles, then beat Zelenchuk, after a second-set tiebreaker, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4) at the second position. 
 
Elizabeth Stevens then beat Romana Tarajova, the 2021 OVC Player of the Year, in three sets, 6-7 (7-5), 6-2, 6-2, at the top singles match.
 
The Wildcats then claimed the match with wins at the fifth and sixth slots. Gonzalez defeated Vivian Lai, 6-2, 6-0, before Maialen Morante beat Valeeva, 6-0, 6-3.
 
Match #2 
In the afternoon session, the Wildcats took the doubles point with wins at the No. 2 and No. 3 doubles spots. 
 
Carla Girbau and Ellie Eades beat Hlacikova and Lai, 6-2, before Arrese and Urrutia defeated Zelenchuk and Tarajova, 6-3.
 
Kentucky then compiled singles wins at the fourth, second and third slots. 
 
Arrese beat Shikanova, 6-1, 6-3, followed by Girbau defeating Hlacikova, 6-1, 6-2. 
 
Urrutia then edged Zelenchuk, 6-1, 6-2, to conclude the doubleheader. 
 
Tarajova won the opening set on Molina, 6-1, at the top singles position before the match went unfinished. 
 
Zelenchuk, a freshman from Lviv, Ukraine, made her Redhawks dual debut Sunday after compiling a stellar 12-2 mark this past fall tournament season.
 
Next Up
SEMO will next travel to Arkansas State to take on the Red Wolves on February 4.