Fresno, Calif. – The No. 40 Washington State tennis team received its first loss of the year as it fell 4-3 to No. 26 Fresno State, Friday at the Spalding G. Wathen Tennis Center.

The Cougars found themselves behind early after losing the opening doubles point. The No. 1 duo of Donika Bashota and Lize Leenknecht fell 6-0 to Mayar Sherif Ahmed and Rana Sherif Ahmed, the nation's 25th-ranked doubles team, while No. 3 Barbora Michalkova and Aneta Miksovska lost 6-4 in a hard-fought match against Sofya Malysheva and Olivia Noble. Maria Biryukova and Trang Huynh, at No. 2, found themselves trailing 5-4 against Sophie Watts and Anneka Watts, before Fresno State clinched the doubles point and play was suspended.

In singles play, No. 3 Michalkova looked to get the Cougars on the board but ran into trouble dropping a back-and-forth first set 7-5 to Rana Sherif Ahmed. In the second set, Michalkova could not get things going and fell 6-0, rounding off the 7-5, 6-0 loss. Biryukova, at the No. 1 position, struggled against Mayar Sherif Ahmed, ranked No. 34 nationally, dropping the match 6-2, 6-2.

No. 2 Bashota and No. 4 Huynh put their perfect seasons on the line against a strong Fresno State team and did not disappoint. Bashota held on for a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Sophie Watts, while Huynh squared off against Galina Bykova in a three-set 2-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory.

At No. 5, Leenknecht battled Anneka Watts dropping two-close sets, 7-5, 7-5, clinching the match for Fresno State.

No. 6 Miksovska also put her undefeated season on the line for the Cougars. After surrendering the first set 6-4 to Malysheva, No.6 Miksovska came back to win a 6-2 second, tying the match at one set apiece and secured the victory in the third set outdueling Malysheva 6-4, taking the match 4-6, 6-2, 6-4.

The Washington State tennis team returns to the court on Saturday, Feb. 27, for another match in Fresno, Calif., taking on Saint Mary's at 11 a.m.

DOUBLES:
1. No. 25 Ahmed/Ahmed (FS) def. Bashota/Leenknecht (WSU) 6-0
2. Watts/ Watts (FS) vs. Biryukova/Huynh (WSU) 5-4, DNF
3. Malysheva/Noble (FS) def. Michalkova/Miksovska (WSU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1,3

SINGLES:
1. #34 Mayar Sherif Ahmed (FS) def. Maria Biryukova (WSU) 6-2, 6-2
2. #119 Donika Bashota (WSU) def. Sophie Watts (FS) 6-4, 6-4
3. Rana Sherif Ahmed (FS) def. Barbora Michalkova (WSU) 7-5, 6-0
4. Trang Huynh (WSU) def. Galina Bykova (FS) 2-6, 6-2, 6-3
5. Aneta Miksovska (WSU) def. Sofya Malysheva (FS) 4-6, 6-2, 6-4
6. Anneka Watts (FS) def. Lize Leenknecht (WSU) 7-5, 7-5
Order of Finish: 3,1,2,6,4,5