PULLMAN, Wash. – Junior Lize Leenknecht won in straight-sets at No. 3 singles and freshman Donika Bashota came-from-behind to post a win at the No. 5 singles spot, but it wasn't enough as Washington State tennis fell to No. 35 Arizona, 5-2, Friday in Pac-12 Play at the WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts.
With the loss the Cougars fall to 11-7 on the season and 0-5 in conference play, while Arizona improves to 12-1 and 3-0 in Pac-12 action.
Leenknecht and her opponent, Laura Oldham, went back-and-forth in the first set at No. 3 after Oldham took the early 1-0 lead. Leenknecht won the next three points to lead 3-1 and eventually 5-2. Oldham fought back to win the next two points and trail 5-4, before Leenknecht won her sixth point for the 6-4 victory in the first set. Leenknecht jumped out to an early 5-1 lead in the second set and cruised to a 6-2 win the second set.
Bashota had a more dramatic victory at No. 5 singles as she battled Arizona's Shayne Austin. Bashota came back after trailing 4-2 early and tied the set at 6 points. The two went back-and-forth in the tiebreaker. After trailing 6-5 in the tiebreaker, Austin rattled off 3-straight points to take the first set, 7-6. Bashota came out strong in the second set for a decisive 6-3 victory to tie the match at 1-1. Like the first set, the tiebreaker was a back-and-forth battle, as Bashota came out victorious in the match with an 11-9 win in the tiebreaker.
Sophomore Victoria Matejevic also had a dramatic match as she fell to Devin Chypyha, 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (12-10) at No. 4 singles. Matejevic entered the match having won seven of her last eight matches, playing at the No. 5 spot. After falling in the first set, Matejevic came back from a 4-2 deficit in the second set for a 7-5 victory. In the tiebreaker, Chypyha was able to come back after trailing 9-6 and eventually tie it at 9-9. After Matejevic tied it back up at 10-10, Chypyha rattled off two-straight points for the 12-10 victory in the tiebreaker to clinch the match.
Junior Maria Biryukova put up a good fight against the 113th-ranked player in the country, Lauren Marker at the No. 1 Singles spot. After the first set was tied at 4-4, Biryukova couldn't answer and fell 6-4. She fell in the second set, 6-3.
Senior Elizaveta Luzina battled No. 97 Briar Preston of Arizona at No. 2 Singles, falling 6-2, 6-2. At No. 6, freshman Nastia Vasyukhina fell to Inge Hendrikx, 6-2, 6-0.
The day began with doubles where the Wildcats won at No. 2 and No. 3 to take the opening point. At No. 3, the Arizona duo of Chypyha and Oldham defeated Bashota and freshman Holly Monahan, followed by Marker and Hendrikx's 8-2 victory over Leenknecht and Matejevic. The match at No. 1 was stopped with WSU's Luzina and Biryukova trailing Austin and Preston, 5-3.
The Cougars continue their home stand Sunday when they host No. 19 Arizona State at the WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts. Match time is set for 11 a.m.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 35 Arizona 5, Washington State 2
WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts
Pullman, Wash.
March 20, 2015
DOUBLES
1. Elizaveta Luzina/Maria Biryukova (WSU) vs. Shayne Austin/Briar Preston (ARIZ) 3-5, unfinished
2. Lauren Marker/Inge Hendrikx (ARIZ) def. Lize Leenknecht/Victoria Matejevic (WSU) 8-2
3. Devin Chypyha/Laura Oldham (ARIZ) def. Donika Bashota/Holly Monahan (WSU) 8-0
Order of Finish: 3,2
SINGLES
1. #113 Lauren Marker (ARIZ) def. Maria Biryukova (WSU) 6-4, 6-3
2. #97 Briar Preston (ARIZ) def. Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) 6-2, 6-2
3. Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Laura Oldham (ARIZ) 6-4, 6-2
4. Devin Chypyha (ARIZ) def. Victoria Matejevic (WSU) 6-4, 5-7, 1-0 (12-10)
5. Donika Bashota (WSU) def. Shayne Austin (ARIZ) 6-7 (8-10), 6-3, 1-0 (11-9)
6. Inge Hendrikx (ARIZ) def. Nastia Vasyukhina (WSU) 6-2, 6-0
Order of Finish: 6,2,1,3,4,5
