Iowa State Media Relations
SEATTLE – The No. 14 Iowa State tennis team battled valiantly but its run at the ITA National Indoor Championships came to an end with a 4-2 loss to No. 5 Georgia in the semifinals.
The Cyclones (8-2) forced third sets on the final two courts before falling to the Bulldogs (5-2).
Sophomore Anna Supapitch Kuearum earned the biggest win of her career, beating No. 39 Mell Reasco in 7-5, 7-6 (4) fashion, while Miska Kadleckova remained perfect on the dual season with a dominant, 6-0, 6-0, win against Georgia’s Mel Kowalski in a match of unbeatens.
The Cyclones finished their first berth at the ITA National Indoor Championships with wins over No. 9 Vanderbilt and the school’s first-ever victory over Texas, the nation’s top-ranked school and two-time defending national champions.
How It Happened
Iowa State dropped the doubles point for just the third time in 11 matches this season, falling on courts one and two. The Cyclones got off to a slow start in trailing quickly in all three matches, but was able to steady themselves and get back into it.
Eventually, Georgia opened up the scoring with a 6-2 win at No. 1 by Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn over Thasaporn Naklo and Supapitch Kuearum. At No. 2, Ange Oby Kajuru and Xinyi Nong were able to force a tiebreak but fell, 7-6 (2), to UGA’s Meg Kowalski and Mell Reasco.
The Cyclones bounced back with Kadleckova’s bagel sweep of Kowalski, tying the match at 1-1.
Georgia then answered with matches on courts two and five finishing simultaneously as the Bulldogs grabbed a 3-1 lead and needing just one more win to clinch their first berth in the championship since 2019.
The Cyclones wouldn’t go quietly as Supapitch Kuearum won her second career match against a ranked opponent.
The final two matches went to a third set after Naklo recovered from 6-2 loss in the opening set to win the second, 6-4, against No. 11 Lea Ma. Chie Kezuka won her first set, 6-2, against Guillermina Grant, but the Bulldog foe took the second set, 6-3, setting up an epic finish in Seattle.
Naklo held an early lead in the third set, but Kezuka was forced to battle from behind and eventually fell, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, to Grant, wrapping up the match.
Naklo’s match finished 2-6, 6-4, 4-5 with the Cyclone leading 30-0 when Kezuka’s match finished.
Up Next
Iowa State will be back in action next Saturday at Old Dominion.
Doubles Results
Order of Finish: 1, 2
#1 – Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) def. Thasaporn Naklo/Anna Supapitch Kuearum (ISU), 6-2
#2 – Meg Kowalski/Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Ange Oby Kajuru/Xinyi Nong (ISU), 7-6 (2)
#3 – Sofia Cabezas/Miska Kadleckova (ISU) vs. Ania Hertel/Anastasiia Lopata (UGA), 5-6 UF
Singles Results
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 2, 3, 6
#1 – No. 42 Naklo (ISU) vs. No. 11 Lea Ma (UGA), 2-6, 6-4, 4-5 UF
#2 – No. 40 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. No. 53 Kajuru (ISU), 6-1, 6-3
#3 – Supapitch Kuearum (ISU) def. No. 39 Reasco (UGA), 7-5, 7-6 (4)
#4 – No. 123 Kadleckova (ISU) def. Kowalski (UGA), 6-0, 6-0
#5 – Hertel (UGA) def. Cabezas (ISU), 6-0, 6-3
#6 – Grant (UGA) def. Chie Kezuka (ISU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
SEATTLE – The No. 14 Iowa State tennis team battled valiantly but its run at the ITA National Indoor Championships came to an end with a 4-2 loss to No. 5 Georgia in the semifinals.
The Cyclones (8-2) forced third sets on the final two courts before falling to the Bulldogs (5-2).
Sophomore Anna Supapitch Kuearum earned the biggest win of her career, beating No. 39 Mell Reasco in 7-5, 7-6 (4) fashion, while Miska Kadleckova remained perfect on the dual season with a dominant, 6-0, 6-0, win against Georgia’s Mel Kowalski in a match of unbeatens.
The Cyclones finished their first berth at the ITA National Indoor Championships with wins over No. 9 Vanderbilt and the school’s first-ever victory over Texas, the nation’s top-ranked school and two-time defending national champions.
How It Happened
Iowa State dropped the doubles point for just the third time in 11 matches this season, falling on courts one and two. The Cyclones got off to a slow start in trailing quickly in all three matches, but was able to steady themselves and get back into it.
Eventually, Georgia opened up the scoring with a 6-2 win at No. 1 by Guillermina Grant and Mai Nirundorn over Thasaporn Naklo and Supapitch Kuearum. At No. 2, Ange Oby Kajuru and Xinyi Nong were able to force a tiebreak but fell, 7-6 (2), to UGA’s Meg Kowalski and Mell Reasco.
The Cyclones bounced back with Kadleckova’s bagel sweep of Kowalski, tying the match at 1-1.
Georgia then answered with matches on courts two and five finishing simultaneously as the Bulldogs grabbed a 3-1 lead and needing just one more win to clinch their first berth in the championship since 2019.
The Cyclones wouldn’t go quietly as Supapitch Kuearum won her second career match against a ranked opponent.
The final two matches went to a third set after Naklo recovered from 6-2 loss in the opening set to win the second, 6-4, against No. 11 Lea Ma. Chie Kezuka won her first set, 6-2, against Guillermina Grant, but the Bulldog foe took the second set, 6-3, setting up an epic finish in Seattle.
Naklo held an early lead in the third set, but Kezuka was forced to battle from behind and eventually fell, 6-2, 6-3, 6-2, to Grant, wrapping up the match.
Naklo’s match finished 2-6, 6-4, 4-5 with the Cyclone leading 30-0 when Kezuka’s match finished.
Up Next
Iowa State will be back in action next Saturday at Old Dominion.
Doubles Results
Order of Finish: 1, 2
#1 – Guillermina Grant/Mai Nirundorn (UGA) def. Thasaporn Naklo/Anna Supapitch Kuearum (ISU), 6-2
#2 – Meg Kowalski/Mell Reasco (UGA) def. Ange Oby Kajuru/Xinyi Nong (ISU), 7-6 (2)
#3 – Sofia Cabezas/Miska Kadleckova (ISU) vs. Ania Hertel/Anastasiia Lopata (UGA), 5-6 UF
Singles Results
Order of Finish: 4, 5, 2, 3, 6
#1 – No. 42 Naklo (ISU) vs. No. 11 Lea Ma (UGA), 2-6, 6-4, 4-5 UF
#2 – No. 40 Dasha Vidmanova (UGA) def. No. 53 Kajuru (ISU), 6-1, 6-3
#3 – Supapitch Kuearum (ISU) def. No. 39 Reasco (UGA), 7-5, 7-6 (4)
#4 – No. 123 Kadleckova (ISU) def. Kowalski (UGA), 6-0, 6-0
#5 – Hertel (UGA) def. Cabezas (ISU), 6-0, 6-3
#6 – Grant (UGA) def. Chie Kezuka (ISU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-2
