No. 18 Women's Tennis Falls in Kickoff Weekend Consolation Match

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – The No. 18 UCLA women's tennis team dropped a 4-1 decision to FIU Sunday in the ITA Kickoff Weekend consolation match, completing its time at the Neil Schiff Tennis Center.

Ava Catanzarite earned a singles win for the Bruins (1-2). The Panthers (2-1) narrowly took the doubles point before getting straight-set victories from Ekaterina Khairutdinova, Salma Loudili and Katerina Mandelikova, who clinched the overall result.

Loudili and Mandelikova logged the first win of the day on the third doubles court, where they prevailed over Vanessa Ong and Sasha Vagramov. Catanzarite and Fangran Tian faced a 1-4 deficit against Yasmine Kabbaj and Oyinlomo Quadre, but seized the final five games and a 6-4 victory to pull UCLA even. The initial point ultimately rested with FIU, however, as Khairutdinova and Kamila Umarova outlasted No. 11 Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle for a 7-5 decision.

No. 42 Catanzarite momentarily leveled the score with her latest win against a nationally-ranked opponent on Court 3. One day after beating the 80th-ranked Anna Supapitch Kuearum of Iowa State, Catanzarite downed No. 106 Umarova by a 6-3, 6-1 score.

The Court 2 matchup was next to finish, as Khairutdinova defeated No. 46 Hance 6-3, 6-0. Louidili followed on Court 6, beating Vagramov 6-3, 6-1. The fourth point then came on Court 5, where Mandelikova came out on top of a 6-2, 6-3 result versus Ong.

The Bruins return to action Friday, Feb. 3, when they visit the Timothy Korth Tennis Complex to take on Saint Mary's. First serve is scheduled for 12 p.m. PT.

Tennis Match Results
FIU vs UCLA
1/29/2023 at Coral Gables, FL
(Neil Schiff Tennis Center)

FIU 4, #18 UCLA 1

Singles competition
1. #94 Fangran Tian (UCLA) vs. Yasmine Kabbaj (FIU) 7-5, 3-2, unfinished
2. E. Khairutdinova (FIU) def. #46 Kimmi Hance (UCLA) 6-3, 6-0
3. #42 Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) def. #106 Kamila Umarova (FIU) 6-3, 6-1
4. #120 A. Lutkemeyer (UCLA) vs. Oyinlomo Quadre (FIU) 3-6, 6-3, unfinished
5. Katerina Mandelikova (FIU) def. Vanessa Ong (UCLA) 6-2, 6-3
6. Salma Loudili (FIU) def. Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 6-3, 6-1

Doubles competition
1. E. Khairutdinova/Kamila Umarova (FIU) def. #11 Kimmi Hance/Elise Wagle (UCLA) 7-5
2. Ava Catanzarite/Fangran Tian (UCLA) def. Yasmine Kabbaj/Oyinlomo Quadre (FIU) 6-4
3. Salma Loudili/Katerina Mandelikova (FIU) def. Vanessa Ong/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 6-3

Match Notes:
FIU 2-1
UCLA 1-2; National ranking #18
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2,1); Singles (3,2,6,5) ITA Kickoff Weekend - Consolation Match