PACIFIC PALISADES, California – North Texas tennis seniors Maria Kononova and Tamuna Kutubidze have landed in the Golden State to begin their run in the 2018 Riviera/Intercollegiate Tennis Association Women's All-American Tennis Championships. Along with making a tournament run, the UNT duo has potential to set some school records this weekend as well.

Kononova and Kutubidze earned automatic qualifications and start Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. central time with doubles. Kononova also earned an automatic qualification for singles and will start that championship on Tuesday following their doubles match in the morning.

"I'm very excited to be back and competing in doubles with Tamuna after a long time away," Kononova said. "It's our last time playing this tournament so we want to enjoy it and do great."

In the doubles draw, Kononova and Kutubdize will face off against a Vanderbilt pair. The two matched up against a different Vanderbilt doubles team last year in this tournament's first round.
"As a senior, I believe I have more responsibility now to even do way more and way better to set a good example to my teammates," Kutubidze said.

Tuesday will mark the first time North Texas' most successful doubles team in school history will link up for the 2018-19 season, their final year together. The two who have posted a 49-19 career record together in doubles, including going 24-4 in 2016-17, are just one win shy of tying the program-record for most career doubles wins. Their .720 winning percentage is also currently the best for a UNT doubles team with more than 30 matches played together.

In the all-American singles draw, Kononova, the No. 43 nationally ranked player in the ITA's preseason poll, will start by facing LSU's Keenan Johnson.

Kononova, who has set multiple program records during her time at UNT, last year became the first UNT women's tennis player to advance to the second round of the qualifying draw of the all-American tournament after she beat Arizona State's Kelley Anderson in straight sets.

This week at the all-American tournament, Kononova could set the school record for singles victories with a deep run in the tournament.

"I'm excited to play and keep developing as a player," Kononova said. "I had a solid week of practice, so I'm ready to play matches and bring some new things in to my game."

Mean Green fans can watch the live stream of the matches here