Ly-Nguyen Provides Clinched in Cougars’ 4-3 Win at Utah

SALT LAKE CITY – Junior Savanna Ly-Nguyen posted a come-from-behind victory at No. 4 singles that propelled Washington State to a 4-3 victory over Utah in a Pac-12 Conference Tennis match Friday afternoon at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center.
 
With the win, the Cougars improve to 11-9 on the season, 3-4 in Pac-12 play. Utah falls to 7-9 overall, 0-6 in conference action.
 
With the match tied at 3-3, Ly-Nguyen and Anastasia Goncharova needed three sets to decide the winner. Goncharova won the first in a tiebreaker while Ly-Nguyen captured the second in similar fashion. In the third the two went back and forth with Ly-Nguyen pulling out a late break of serve to with 6-4 in the third for the clinching point. It marked her team-best 15th-win against just two defeats this season.
 
Utah began the day winning the opening doubles points with wins on courts 1 and 3. WSU came away with a 6-3 win on court 2 when Michaela Bayerlova and Yang Lee defeated Anya Lamoreaux and Madeline Lamoreaux.
 
As singles began, Bayerlova quickly tied the match with a 6-0, 6-4 win over Emily Dush at No. 1. WSU's Hikaru Sato gave the Cougars their first lead following a 7-6 (1), 6-2 win over Madeline Lamoreaux at No. 2 while senior Melisa Ates extended the lead to 3-1 with a 6-2, 7-6 (4) win over Anya Lamoreaux at No. 5. The win was the 102nd single victory of Ates' career, tying her with Elizaveta Luzina for third on WSU's all-time list.
 
Utah bounced back with wins at No. 3 and 6 as Lindsay Hung posted a three-set victory over Pang Jittakoat while Madison Tattini rallied for a three-set win over Lee at No. 6, setting the stage for Ly-Nguyen's heroics.
 
WSU is next in action Sunday when they visit Colorado.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 4 def. Utah 3
April 2, 2021
George S. Eccles Tennis Center
Salk Lake City, Utah
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Emily Dush/Anastasia Goncharova (Utah) def. Melisa Ates/Hikaru Sato (WSU) 6-4
No. 2 Michaela Bayerlova/Yang Lee (WSU) def. Anya Lamoreaux/Madeline Lamoreaux (Utah) 6-3
No. 3 Madison Tattini/Lindsay Hung (Utah) def. Pang Jittakoat/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 7-6 (4)
Order of Finish: 2,1,3
 
SINGLES
No. 1 #86 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) def. Emily Dush (Utah) 6-0, 6-4
No. 2 Hikaru Sato (WSU) def. Madeline Lamoreaux (Utah) 7-6 (1), 6-2
No. 3 Lindsay Hung (Utah) def. Pang Jittakoat (WSU) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
No. 4 Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) def. Anastasia Goncharova (Utah) 6-7 (3), 7-6 (3), 6-4
No. 5 Melisa Ates (WSU) def. Anya Lamoreaux (Utah) 6-2, 7-6 (4)
No. 6 Madison Tattini (Utah) def. Yang Lee (WSU) 6-7 (8), 6-2, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1,2,5,3,6,4