LAHAINA, Maui – The Washington State tennis team opened its 2016 spring season at the Weinman Foundation Invitational at the Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch Tuesday.
The four-team tournament, which includes WSU, Missouri, Texas Tech and host Hawaii, consists of singles and doubles matches in a non-team scoring format. Texas Tech entered the week with a No. 17 national ranking.
The day began with doubles where WSU went winless in four matches. Hawaii's Sarah Gealar and Paulina Petriskova needed a tiebreaker to defeat Maria Biryukova and Trang Huynh, 7-6. The Cougar duo of Donika Bashota and Lize Leenknecht narrowly fell to Texas Tech's Gabriela Talaba and Alex Valenstein, the nation's 24th-ranked team, 7-6. Another Texas Tech duo, Katelyn Jackson and Autumn Crossnoe, posted a 6-2 win over the Cougar pair of Victoria Matejevic and Holly Monahan, 6-2, while Missouri's Clare Raley and Turner Yates defeated WSU's Barbora Michalkova and Aneta Miksovska, 6-4.
In singles play, two Cougars came away with victories. Bashota posted a 6-0, 4-6, 6-2 win over Hawaii's Cindy Nguyen. It marked Bashota's team-leading 16th win of the season against just one defeat. Huynh also needed three sets in her victory over Cassidy Spearman of Missouri, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3.
In other singles matches, Gealer posted a three-set win over Biryukova, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3 and Jackson recorded a 6-4, 6-2 win over Lize Leenknecht. Missouri's Brianna Lashway needed three sets for a 2-6, 6-2, 7-5 win over Michalkova while Texas Tech's Lynn Kiro defeated Matejevic 6-3, 6-2. Crossnoe had a straight-set win over Monahan, 6-3, 6-2, and Texas Tech's Felicity Maltby split sets with Miksovska before the Cougar freshman was forced to retire due to injury, 6-7, 7-5, ret.
Play continues at the Weinman Foundation Invitational Wednesday.
Weinman Foundation Invitational
Royal Lahaina Tennis Ranch
Lahaina, Maui
Jan. 5-7, 2016
SINGLES
No. 83 Donika Bashota (WSU) def. Cindy Nguyen (UH) 6-0, 4-6, 6-3
Trang Huynh (WSU) def. Cassidy Spearman (UM) 7-5, 4-6, 6-3
Sarah Gealer (UH) def. Maria Biryukova (WSU) 4-6, 6-3, 6-3
Brittany Lashway (UM) def. Barbora Michalkova (WSU) 2-6, 6-2, 7-5
Katelyn Jackson (TT) def. Lize Leenknecht (WSU) 6-4, 6-2
Lynn Kiro (TT) def. Victoria Matejevic (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
Autumn Crossnoe (TT) def. Holly Monahan (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
Felicity Maltby (TT) def. Aneta Miksovska (WSU) 6-7, 7-5, ret.
DOUBLES
Katelyn Jackson/Autumn Crossnoe (TT) def. Victoria Matejevic/Holly Monahan (WSU) 6-2
No. 24 Gabriela Talaba/Alex Valenstein (TT) def. Donika Bashota/Lize Leenknecht (WSU) 7-6
Clare Raley/Turner Yates (UM) def. Barbora Michalkova/Aneta Miksovska (WSU) 6-4
Sarah Gealer/Klara Pribylova (UH) def. Maria Biryukova/Trang Huynh (WSU) 7-6 (3)
