Comeback Falls Short in 5-2 loss to Minnesota

SALT LAKE CITY (February 12, 2022) – Despite winning five first sets in singles play, the Washington State Tennis could not finish the comeback as it fell to Minnesota 5-2 Saturday afternoon at the George S. Eccles Tennis Center.
 
With the loss, the Cougars fall to 4-2 on the season while the Gophers improve to 10-0.
 
In doubles play to begin the match, the Gophers found wins at No. 1 and 2 to take the opening point. At No. 1 Minnesota's Emilee Duong and Rachel Hanford posted a 6-4 win over Michaela Bayerlova and Maxine Murphy before WSU's Savanna Ly-Nguyen and Elyse Tse answered with a 6-4 win over Maria Rizzolo and Lucy Lu at No. 3. That left the deciding point to Court 2, where the Gophers' Dalila Said and Ekin Ercetin earned a late break of serve to defeat Yang Lee and Fifa Kumhom, 6-4.
 
In singles action, Murphy evened the score at 1-1 as she posted a 6-4, 7-5 win over Rizzolo at No. 3. Murphy trailed 0-5 in the second before ripping off seven-straight games to seal the victory, her seventh of the season. Bayerlova gave WSU a brief 2-1 lead as she completed a 7-5, 6-4 win at No. 1 over Hanford. The win was the eighth-straight for Bayerlova to begin the season.
 
Minnesota's Vasia Karvouni evened the match at 2-2 when she rallied for a 2-6, 6-0, 6-1 win over Tse at No. 4. At No. 2, Duong escaped a tight battle to win 7-6 (8), 6-3 over Ly-Nguyen to push the Gophers to a 3-2 lead. Dalila Said clinched the team win for the Gophers by winning the final five games to complete a 4-6, 6-4, 7-5 comeback win over Hania Abouelsaad at No. 6.
 
In the final match to finish, Minnesota's Anfisa Danilchenko outlasted Kumhom in a lengthy three-setter, winning 6-7, (8), 7-6 (3), 6-3 at No. 5 for the final margin of victory.
 
The Cougars return to action Friday when they head south to face UC Santa Barbara. Match time is set for 1 p.m.
 
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Minnesota 5 def. Washington State 2
February 12, 2022
George S. Eccles Tennis Center
Salt Lake City, Utah
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Emilee Duong/Rachel Hanford (UM) def. Michaela Bayerlova/Maxine Murphy (WSU) 6-4
No. 2 Dalila Said/Ekin Ercetin (UM) def. Yang Lee/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-4
No. 3 Savanna Ly-Nguyen/Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Maria Rizzolo/Lucy Lu (UM) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,3,2
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) def. Rachel Hanford (UM) 7-5, 6-4
No. 2 Emilee Duong (UM) def. Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) 7-6 (8), 6-3
No. 3 Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Maria Rizzolo (UM) 6-4, 7-5
No. 4 Vasia Karvouni (UM) def. Elyse Tse (UM) 2-6, 6-0, 6-1
No. 5 Anfisa Danilchenko (UM) def. Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-7, (8), 7-6 (3), 6-3
No. 6 Dalila Said (UM) def. Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) 4-6, 6-4, 7-5
Order of Finish: 3,1,4,2,6,5