Upset Bid Falls Short in 4-3 Loss to No. 15 Baylor
SEATTLE, Wash. – Washington State tennis' upset bid against No. 15 Baylor came up just short as the Cougars fell to the Bears, 4-3, Saturday afternoon at the Nordstrom Tennis Center.
After taking the opening doubles point, the Cougars (4-4) needed three singles victories to seal the match but only found two.
Doubles play began the day and the Cougars captured the opening doubles point for the sixth time in eight matches this season. At No. 2, Melisa Ates and Yang Lee rode an early break of serve to a 6-3 victory. WSU clinched the point at No. 1 when Michaela Bayerlova and Hikaru Sato, who were broken late to force the tiebreaker, dominated the breaker, winning 7-1 over Mel Krywoj and Alicia Herrero Linana. At No. 3, the Coug pair of Pang Jittakoat and Fifa Kumhom could not hold on to a 5-3 lead as the pair fell 7-6 (7-5) in a tiebreaker to Audrey Boch-Collins and Angelina Shakhraichuk.
In singles play, Baylor (8-1) quickly evened the match as Alicia Herrero Linana had little trouble with Fifa Kumhom, winning 6-0 6-2 at No. 3. WSU recaptured the lead as Hikaru Sato posted a convincing, 6-4, 6-2 win over Hinojosa at No. 2.
Baylor captured the next two matches to gain a 3-2 advantage as Shakhraichuk defeated Ates, 6-3, 7-5 at No. 6, while Krywoj battled her way to a 6-4, 7-5 win over No. 55 Bayerlova at No. 1.
Savanna Ly-Nguyen drew the Cougars within one point of victory as she needed three sets to defeat Boch-Collins, 6-0, 1-6, 6-4 at No. 5. The win improved Ly-Nguyen's to 6-0 in the dual season, WSU's lone undefeated player.
With the match even at 3-3, the deciding point came down to No. 4, where Jittakoat won the first set 6-4 before Livia Kraus tied the match by sinning the second, 6-3. After Jittakoat took a 3-2 lead in the third, Kraus won two key deuce points as she rallied to win the final four games in a 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 win.
The Cougars are next in action Friday when they return to Hollingbery Fieldhouse to host Idaho.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 15 Baylor 4 def. Washington State 3
February 20, 2021
Nordstrom Tennis Center
Seattle, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1 Michaela Bayerlova/Hikaru Sato (WSU) def. Mel Krywoj/Alicia Herrero Linana (BU) 7-6 (1)
No. 2 Melisa Ates/Yang Lee (WSU) def. Paula Baranano/Kristina Sorokolet (BU) 6-3
No. 3 Audrey Boch-Collins/Angelina Shakhraichuk (BU) def. Pang Jittakoat/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 7-6 (5)
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
SINGLES
No. 1 Mel Krywoj (BU) def. #55 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 Hikaru Sato (WSU) def. Jessica Hinojosa (BU) 6-4, 6-2
No. 3 Alicia Herrero Linana (BU) def. Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-0, 6-2
No. 4 Livia Kraus (BU) def. Pang Jittakoat (WSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
No. 5 Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Audrey Boch-Collins (BU) 6-0, 1-6, 6-4
No. 6 Angelina Shakhraichuk (BU) def. Melisa Ates (WSU) 6-3, 7-5
Order of Finish: 3,2,6,1,5,6