SEATTLE, Wash. – Washington State captured three singles matches but came up short as No. 40 Washington escaped with a 4-3 victory over the Cougars Friday afternoon at the Bill Quillian Tennis Stadium.
It marked the Pac-12 Conference opener for both teams as the Cougars fell to 10-3 while Washington improved to 7-4.
With the match tied 3-3, it came down to No. 1 singles between WSU's Elizaveta Luzina and UW's Elianne Douglas-Miron. Luzina jumped out quick, taking advantage of an early break, and was serving at 6-5 in the first. Douglas-Miron broke back then captured the tiebreaker for the 7-6 first set. Luzina trailed 5-2 in the second before earning a break and making it 5-4, but drew no closer as Douglas-Miron served it out to give Washington the victory.
Doubles action began the day as the Huskies captured the first two matches to take the opening point. At No. 3, Julija Lukac and Grace Ysidora defeated Donika Bashota and Nastia Vasyukhina, 8-4 just before Douglas-Miron and Riko Shimizu posted a 8-3 victory over Luzina and Lize Leenknecht at No. 1. Despite the point being clinched, at No. 2 the Cougar duo of Maria Biryukova and Victoria Matejevic came from behind to defeat Angela Chen and Miki Kobayashi, 8-6.
Biryukova evened the match at 1-1 as she posted a convincing 6-3, 6-1 win over Ysidora at No. 2 singles. The win was the 25th of the season for the Cougar junior. Washington regained the lead shortly thereafter as Capucine Gregoire defeated Vasyukhina, 6-3, 6-1 at No. 6.
The Husky lead was extended to 3-1 as Lukac escaped with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Bashota at No. 4. It marked just the second dual-match loss of the season for the Cougar freshman. Matejevic cut into the lead as she won a close first set then cruised in the second with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Shimizu at No. 5.
Leenknecht tied the match at 3-3 as she outlasted Kobayashi, 6-1, 2-6, 6-4, at No. 3, setting the stage for the deciding match at No. 1.
The Cougars conclude their three-match road trip Sunday when they face No. 61 Oregon in Eugene. Match time is set for noon.
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 40 Washington 4 def. Washington State 3
Bill Quillian Tennis Stadium
Seattle, Wash.
March 6, 2015
DOUBLES
No. 1 Douglas-Miron/Shimizu (UW) def. Luzina/Leenknecht (WSU) 8-3
No. 2 Biryukova/Matejevic (WSU) def. Chen/Kobayaski (UW) 8-6
No. 3 Lukac/Ysidora (UW) def. Vasyukhina/Bashota (WSU) 8-4
SINGLES
No. 1 Elianne Douglas-Miron (UW) def. Elizaveta Luzina (WSU) 7-6 (5), 6-4
No. 2 Maria Biryukova (WSU) def. Grace Ysidora (UW) 6-3, 6-1
No. 3 Lize Leenknecht (WSU) def. Miki Kobayashi (UW) 6-1, 2-6, 6-4
No. 4 Julija Lukac (UW) def. Donika Bashota (WSU) 6-4, 6-4
No. 5 Victoria Matejevic (WSU) def. Riko Shimizu (UW) 7-5, 6-2
No. 6 Capucine Gregoire (UW) def. Nastia Vasyukhina (WSU) 6-3, 6-1
--wsucougars.com--
