No. 19 Cal Loses ITA Kickoff Opener At No. 2 UCLA

Follow Cal on Twitter | Follow Cal on Instagram | Like Cal on Facebook

LOS ANGELES – In a clash of Pac-12 Conference rivals in their ITA Kickoff Weekend opener, the No. 19 Cal women's tennis team lost to second-ranked UCLA, 4-0, on Sunday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center. The Bruins clinched the victory when Vanessa Ong defeated Cal sophomore Erin Richardson, 6-4, 7-5, at court-six singles.
 
Originally scheduled for Saturday, rain forced the postponement of the match to Sunday afternoon.
 
In doubles, Cal's top pair of Anna Bright and Julia Rosenqvist – ranked 53rd – faced the nation's top-ranked Elysia Bolton and Jada Hart, with the Bruins prevailing, 6-1, on court one. UCLA clinched the doubles point when Cal sophomore Haley Giavara and freshman Hannah Viller Moeller dropped a 6-3 match to Annette Goulak and Vivian Wolff on court two.
 
Giavara, ranked 18th, took on UCLA's seventh-ranked Abbey Forbes in singles, falling, 6-1, 6-3, on court one. Bolton, ranked ninth, then topped Cal's 26th-ranked Valentina Ivanov, 6-2, 6-3, on court two to increase UCLA's lead to 3-0, before the action on court six ended the match.
 
"It was our first away match, and it was a lot closer than the score shows," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "We have some new doubles combinations, and it was good to see how they stack up with, for example, an established team like Bolton and Hart, who've played together three-plus years.
 
"We're just excited to have the opportunity to be competing again, like all the teams are. We always have such fantastic battles with teams like UCLA that are our conference colleagues and are top national competitors of ours. It was good tennis today, like it always is when we play them. We'll be playing them again in a few weeks. We're glad to get another match tomorrow. We competed hard today, and we'll make some adjustments."
 
On Monday, Cal plays yet another Pac-12 opponent in Washington State at 9 a.m. – weather permitting – in a consolation match, while UCLA takes on Texas A&M in the ITA Kickoff Weekend final. Fans can keep track of the live scores and live stream for Cal-WSU by clicking here.
 
ITA Kickoff Weekend
 
No. 2 UCLA (1-0) defeated No. 19 California (1-1), 4-0
Jan. 24, 2021, in Los Angeles, Calif.
Los Angeles Tennis Center
 
Doubles
1. No. 1 Elysia Bolton/Jada Hart (UCLA) def. No. 53 Anna Bright/Julia Rosenqvist (Cal), 6-1
2. Annette Goulak/Vivian Wolff (UCLA) def. Haley Giavara/Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal), 6-3*
3. Jada Bui/Valentina Ivanov (Cal) vs. Abi Altick/Abbey Forbes (UCLA), 5-4 Unfinished
 
Order of Finish – 1, 2*
*Clinched the doubles point
 
Singles
1. No. 7 Abbey Forbes (UCLA) def. No. 18 Haley Giavara (Cal), 6-1, 6-3
2. No 9 Elysia Bolton (UCLA) def. No. 26 Valentina Ivanov (Cal), 6-2, 6-3
3. No. 43 Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) vs. No. 19 Jada Hart (UCLA), 2-6, 6-2, 1-3 Unfinished
4. Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal) vs. Vivian Wolff (UCLA), 6-3, 4-5 Unfinished
5. Anna Bright (Cal) vs. Abi Altick (UCLA), 6-2, 3-6, 0-0 Unfinished
6. Vanessa Ong (UCLA) def. Erin Richardson (Cal), 6-4, 7-5^
 
Order of Finish – 1, 2, 6^
^Clinched the overall match