Nayar Picks Up Ranked Win In CU Loss
BOULDER – Colorado tennis junior Sara Nayar upset Washington's No.52-ranked Vanessa Wong Friday afternoon here in a late three-set battle as the Buffs dropped the match 5-2.
Colorado (7-9, 1-5 Pac-12) has now lost seven-straight matches as Washington (10-6, 2-5 Pac-12) picks up its second win in conference.
The final match was a highly contested match between Nayar and No.52-ranked Wong. Nayar took the first set 7-6 and won the tiebreaker 7-4. The next set Wong took 6-3, then Wong had a 4-2 lead in the third. Nayar tied it up, then the pair went to deuce at 4-4 when Nayar sent a sky shot and Wong sent it long to give Nayar the 5-4 advantage.
This is the second singles ranked win of the season for CU and the first for Nayar in four tries.
The other point CU picked up came unexpectedly from Ky Ecton in the No.6 singles match. Ecton dropped the first set to Zoey Weil 6-1 before completely taking over in the second with a 6-2 set win. She was up 4-0 but dropped five straight games before tying it up at five after facing down two match points. Down again, 40-15, Ecton then took command and won the game to take the 6-5 lead. She finished it off at deuce to take the first team point.
Moments later Nika Zupancic finished off a heated battle in the No.4 match against Antonia Balzert, winning 7-5, 6-4 to put UW up 3-1. Maria Campos found herself down 5-4 in the third set of the No.2 singles match against Sarah-Maude Fortin after taking a 4-2 lead. Washington served into match point for the singles match and the game, ultimately finishing it off a rally later, taking the match 6-3, 3-6, 6-4.
The first singles point was picked up by Tara Chilton against Fleur Eggink in the No.5 match, 7-6(3), 6-4. Washington's Sedona Gallagher picked up the last point as she took over in the No.3 third set against Megan Forster after each took a set 6-4. Gallagher swept Forster in the third, 6-0.
The Buffs started out the day dropping the first doubles match in the No.2 match with Gallagher and Weil defeating Forster and Balzert 6-3. Nayar and Eggink came back from down two to win the No.1 doubles match against Wong and Fortin 6-4, but Washington clinched the point in the No.3 match as Zupancic and Chilton defeated Campos and Ecton 6-3.
Colorado plays again Sunday at 11 a.m. when it hosts Washington State out at the South Campus Tennis Complex.
RESULTS
Singles competition
1. Sara Nayar (COLO) def. #52 Vanessa Wong (WASH) 7-6 (7-4), 3-6, 6-4
2. Sarah-Maude Fortin (WASH) def. Maria Campos (COLO) 6-3, 3-6, 6-4
3. Sedona Gallagher (WASH) def. Megan Forster (COLO) 4-6, 6-4, 6-0
4. Nika Zupancic (WASH) def. Antonia Balzert (COLO) 7-5, 6-4
5. Tara Chilton (WASH) def. Fleur Eggink (COLO) 7-6 (7-3), 6-4
6. Ky Ecton (COLO) def. Zoey Weil (WASH) 1-6, 6-2, 7-5
Doubles competition
1. Fleur Eggink/Sara Nayar (COLO) def. Vanessa Wong/Sarah-Maude Fortin (WASH) 6-4
2. Sedona Gallagher/Zoey Weil (WASH) def. Antonia Balzert/Megan Forster (COLO) 6-3
3. Nika Zupancic/Tara Chilton (WASH) def. Maria Campos/Ky Ecton (COLO) 6-3
Match Notes:
Washington 10-6, 2-5 Pac-12
Colorado 7-9, 1-5 Pac-12
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (5,6,4,2,3,1)