Cougars Scratch Out Win Over Wildcats, 4-2
Cougars Scratch Out Win Over Wildcats, 4-2
PULLMAN, Wash. – Sophomore Pang Jittakoat rallied for a come-from-behind, three-set clinching victory at No. 4 singles as No. 38 Washington State defeated Arizona, 4-2, Sunday afternoon at the WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts.
With the win, the Cougars improve to 8-6 overall, 2-2 in Pac-12 play. The Wildcats fall to 8-5, 0-3.
The Cougars opened the day by capturing the doubles point. At No. 1, Michaela Bayerlova and Hikaru Sato had little trouble with Arizona's Gitte Heynemans and Khim Iglupas, winning 6-1. Arizona evened it up when Abby Amos and Kayla Wilkins defeated Pang Jittakoat and Fifa Kumhom, 6-3, putting the deciding match at No. 2. There, WSU's Melisa Ates and Yang Lee rode an early break of serve to a 6-4 win, giving WSU the 1-0 lead.
In singles play, Savanna Ly-Nguyen continued her winning ways, completing a 6-1, 6-4 win over Heynemans at No. 5 to give WSU a 2-0 lead. The win improved Ly-Nguyen's singles to 11-1 this season.
Freshman Fifa Kumhom picked up the first Pac-12 victory as a Cougar as she came from a set down to defeat Amos, 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 at No. 3. Arizona picked up its first victory when Iglupas pulled out a 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 win over Ates at No. 6. Arizona picked up their second win at No. 2 when Lukic came from a set down to defeat Sato, 3-6, 7-5, 6-4, cutting the Cougar lead to 3-2.
Leading 3-2, the Cougars had match point at both No. 1 and No. 4. Jittakoat was first to finish as she needed three sets to defeat Zandberg, 5-7, 7-5, 6-2, picking up the deciding match following a minute-long rally. The win was Jittakoat's first conference win of the season.
With the team victory clinched, Bayerlova's match at No. 1 was stopped with the Cougar senior leading 7-5, 1-6, 5-3 over Wilkins.
The Cougars are next in action Saturday when they host Eastern Washington at Noon.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 38 Washington State 4 def. Arizona 2
March 14, 2021
WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts
Pullman, Wash.
DOUBLES
No. 1 Michaela Bayerlova/Hikaru Sato (WSU def. Gitte Heynemans/Khim Iglupas (Ariz.) 6-1
No. 2 Melisa Ates/Yang Lee (WSU) def. Jelena Lukic/Talya Zandberg (Ariz.) 6-4
No. 3 Abby Amos/Kayla Wilkins (Ariz.) def. Pang Jittakoat/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-3
Order of Finish: 1,3,2
SINGLES
No. 1 #55 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) vs. Kayla Wilkins (Ariz.) 7-5, 1-6, 5-3 DNF
No. 2 Jelena Lukic (Ariz.) def. Hikaru Sato (WSU) 3-6, 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Abby Amos (Ariz.) 2-6, 6-1, 6-2
No. 4 Pang Jittakoat (WSU) def. Talya Zandberg (Ariz.) 5-7, 7-5, 6-2
No. 5 Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Gitte Heynemans (Ariz.) 6-1, 6-4
No. 6 Khim Iglupas (Ariz.) def. Melisa Ates (WSU) 6-4, 3-6, 6-3
Order of Finish: 5,3,6,2,4