Cougars Host 2021 Cougar Classic to Open Fall Season

The Washington State Cougar women's tennis team opens its 2021 fall season as they host the 2021 Cougar Classic, Sept. 24-26 at the WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts. Play begins at 10 a.m. Friday with two rounds of doubles followed by a round of singles. Saturday also begins at 10 a.m. with two rounds of singles. Sunday's play begins at 8 a.m. with the doubles finals followed by singles finals at 9 a.m.
 
COUGAR CLASSIC DRAWS SET: The 2021 Cougar Classic will consist of three flights of singles and three flights of doubles. The Cougars will be represented by senior Savanna Ly-Nguyen in the Crimson singles flights as well as sophomore Fifa Kumhom in the Gray singles flight. The two will also pair up in the Crimson doubles draw.
 
COUGAR CLASSIC FIELD: Joining WSU in the 2021 Cougar Classic tournament will be Boise State, Eastern Washington, Idaho, Montana, Portland State, Seattle and Utah State.
 
ROSTER BREAKDOWN: For the 2021-22 season the Cougars will have two new players to accompany the four returners. The returning roster consists of fifth-year senior Michaela Bayerlova, seniors Yang Lee and Savanna Ly-Nguyen, sophomore Fifa Kumhom and freshmen Hania Abouelsaad and Maxine Murphy.
 
BAYERLOVA STARTS 2021 AT NO. 47 IN ITA PRESEASON RANKING: Washington State fifth-year senior Michaela Bayerlova begins the 2021-22 season No. 47 in the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) preseason rankings. Bayerlova, from Krumbach, Germany, finished her 2021 season ranked No. 69. Earlier this summer, she captured her first professional title since 2019, and fifth of her career, when she won the International Tennis Federation Frederiksberg tournament in Frederiksberg, Denmark. Following that event, Bayerlova reached a career-best 530 world ranking.
 
COACH ATAWO: Raquel Atawo begins her first season as head coach of the Cougars after being named to the position July 2, 2021. Atawo arrived in Pullman having spent last season as the assistant coach at Auburn and prior to that, spent 15 years on the WTA Tour, where she reached at NO. 10 world ranking in doubles.