10B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2008
TENNIS
Three conference wins: one more than team had last year
BY ALEX DUFEK
adufek@kansan.com
The Kansas basketball team wasn't the only University sport to pick up two big wins during the weekend.
Taylor Miller/Kansan
Magdalena Tokarczyk, Poland freshman,
serves against Oklahoma on Friday.
Friday's nail-biting victory against the Sooners snapped a three-game losing skid for the Jayhawks and avenged last year's 4-3 season ending loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 tournament.
The Kansas tennis team holds bragging rights over the state of Oklahoma for this season, after defeating the University of Oklahoma, 4-3, on Friday and stomping Oklahoma State, 6-1, on Sunday.
"Right now, winning two in a row is really exciting," coach Amy Hall-Holt said. "You know, beating both Oklahoma schools when they both beat us last year is a quick turnaround, and it's just really exciting right now."
It was senior Lauren Hommell who yet again showed up in the clutch for the Hawks. With Friday's match knotted at 3-3, the senior again demonstrated her poise under pressure defeating Tara Eckel of Oklahoma, 6-2, 6-2, to give Kansas its second conference victory.
match on the line brings out the best in her.
In both Friday's and Sunday's contests the Jayhawks won two out of the three doubles matches to pick up the doubles point. A quick start in doubles has benefited Kansas a lot this year. The team is now 5-2 this season when it takes the early lead through doubles.
On Sunday, however, the Jayhawks were firing on all cylinders and didn't need any late-match heroics. The only singles loss was at the No. 3 spot, where the Jayhawks most winning singles player, Horvath, fell to the Cowgirls Jo-Anne Karaitiana 6-3, 6-1.
In Friday's contest against Oklahoma the Jayhawks benefited from a strong push at the bottom half of their singles line-up. No. 3 junior Edina Horvath, No.4 junior Kunigunda Dorn and No.6 Hommell all contributed victories to give Kansas the edge.
"I kind of like clinching it. I feel like I play better." Hommell said. "It just helps me focus."
The team didn't have to sweat out Sunday's victory thanks in large part to freshman Maladena Tokarczyk who pulled out a 6-3, 7-6(3) victory at the No.1 position to seal the deal for Kansas. Tokarczyk, who has been playing the No.1 spot since Kansas' home opener against Illinois on February 10, feels like she is becoming more comfortable with her spot atop the singles depth chart.
Maqdalena Tokarczyk. Poland freshman. hits against Oklahoma on Friday.
Hommell said playing with the
"After some time, I just got used to it," Tokarczyk said. "Whether I play the first raquet (spot) or sixth racquet, the feel of the game comes at some point. I feel confident right now."
Taylor Miller/Kansan
The pair of victories improves Kansas' record to 7-8 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12. With three conference wins on the season Kansas has already tallied more conference victories than last year's total of two.
The Jayhawks' reward for this weekend's success will be a visit from the second ranked team in the country, Baylor. The Bears are 18-2
Hall-Holt knows the Jayhawks have nothing to lose coming into a match versus an opponent like Baylor.
on the year and undefeated in conference play. Kansas will be trying to snap a six match losing streak to the Bears, when the two teams square off Saturday at 11 a.m.
"One thing that I keep preaching to the girls is that we have everything to gain this weekend and nothing to lose," Hall-Holt said. "We got to go out and practice hard like we're playing for a national title."
OLYMPICS
Protest expected for 85,100 mile flame journey
Edited by Daniel Reyes
BEIJING — The Olympic flame arrived in Beijing for a torch re-lighting ceremony Monday, signaling the start of a round-the-world relay that is expected to be a lightning rod for protests against China's policies and human rights practices.
The flame's arrival in Beijing was shown live on state television, and comes a week after the lighting ceremony for the Olympic torch in Greece was marred by protests. There also were protests Sunday by a pro-Tibetan group when Greek officials handed over the flame to organizers of the Beijing Games in Athens.
The torch relay has been heavily promoted by the Chinese
government.
Chief Beijing organizer Liu Qi carried the flame off the plane in a small lantern. He was greeted by Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Communist Party's supreme nine-man Politburo Standing Committee.
About 5,000 people, including 220 foreign journalists, were on hand for the ceremony in Tiananmen Square in the heart of Beijing.
Martial artists and dancers wearing costumes representing minority ethnic groups, including Tibetans, cavorted on a huge red carpet covering much of the north end of the square.
Associated Press
After a one-day stop in Beijing the flame goes Tuesday to Almaty, Kazakhstan, the start of the 20-country. 85,100-mile global journey.
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