Cougars Fall at Washington, 5-2

SEATTLE, Wash. – The Washington State tennis team was unable to capitalize on early opportunities and fell to Washington, 5-2, in a nonconference match Friday at the Nordstrom Tennis Center. The match was the first of two scheduled meetings between the teams this season as part of the Boeing Apple Cup Series.
 
With the loss, the Cougars fall to 4-3 on the season while Washington improves to 7-0.
 
The Cougars jumped out in each of the three doubles matches, getting up a break early in all three. Pang Jittakoat and Fifa Kumhom cruised a 6-2 win over Zoey Weil and Tara Chilton from Washington at No. 3. At No. 1 Michaela Bayerlova and Hikaru Sato when back and forth with UW's Vanessa Wong and Sara-Maude Fortin before falling in a tiebreaker 7-6 (7-3). The doubles point came down to No. 2, where WSU's Melisa Ates and Yang Lee led throughout before Sedona Gallagher and Yolanda Lin forced a tiebreaker. Ates and Lee held three match points, up 6-3 in the breaker, before UW's duo captured the last five points for the 7-6 (8-6), securing the opening point.
 
In singles play, the Cougars quickly tied the match as Savanna Ly-Nguyen posted a quick, 6-0, 6-1 victory over Lin at No. 5. The win was Ly-Nguyen's fifth in singles play this season against zero losses. Ates gave WSU the lead shortly thereafter as she posted a 6-2, 6-2 win at No. 6 over Chilton. The win marked the 94th in Ates' WSU singles career, fifth all-time.
 
Washington regained the lead for good when #74 Wong completed a 6-3, 6-2 win over #55 Bayerlova at No. 1 singles and Weil finished off a 6-3, 6-2 win over Jittakoat at No. 4, giving the Huskies a 3-2 lead. Gallagher then clinched the team victory with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Kumhom at No. 3. The final match of the day saw Fortin escape with a 7-5, 7-5 win over Sato at No. 2.
 
The Cougars are next in action Saturday when they face No. 15 Baylor in Seattle. Match time is set for 1 p.m.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington 5 def. Washington State 2
February 19, 2021
Nordstrom Tennis Center
Seattle, Wash.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Vanessa Wong/Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) def. Michaela Bayerlova/Hikaru Sato (WSU) 7-6 (3)
No. 2 Sedona Gallagher/Yolanda Lin (UW) def. Melisa Ates/Yang Lee (WSU) 7-6 (6)
No. 3 Pang Jittakoat/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Zoey Weil/Tara Chilton (UW) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3,1,2
 
SINGLES
No. 1 #74 Vanessa Wong (UW) def. #55 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 2 Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) def. Hikaru Sato (WSU) 7-5, 7-5
No. 3 Sedona Gallagher (UW) def. Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 4 Zoey Weil (UW) def. Pang Jittakoat (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Yolanda Lin (UW) 6-0, 6-1
No. 6 Melisa Ates (WSU) def. Tara Chilton (UW) 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 5,6,1,4,3,2