NEW YORK – Julia Haynes saved off three match points at No. 6 singles before winning in three sets to lift Columbia to an upset over No. 35 Washington State in a nonconference tennis match Sunday at the Dick Savitt Tennis Center.
 
With the loss the Cougars fall to 7-2 on the season while Columbia improves to 9-2.
 
With the score tied at 3-3, the decisive match came down to No. 6 singles where Haynes captured the first set against WSU's Yang Lee. Lee rallied in the second to even it at a set each. In the third set, Lee led 5-3 and 40-15, with three match points, but could not capitalize as Haynes rallied to win in a tiebreaker for the clinching victory.
 
The Cougars had tied the match at 3-3 when freshman Pang Jittakoat saved match points of her own to force a third-set tiebreaker against Columbia' Michelle Xu. Jittakoat dominated the tiebreaker, winning 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3) to keep WSU alive in the match. Washington State's other singles win came at No. 1 where Michaela Bayerlova, the nation's 63rd-ranked player, improved to 9-0 on the season with a 6-4, 6-4 win over No. 102 Akanksha Bhan.
 
Washington State opened the match by taking the top two doubles matches for the opening point. Bayerlova and Hikaru Sato defeated Bhan and Paulina Ferrari 6-3 at No. 1 while Lee and Melisa Ates had no trouble with Xu and Melissa Sakar, winning 6-1 at No. 2. At No. 3, Columbia's Jennifer Kerr and Shivani Amineni defeated Jittakoat and Jovana Knezevic, 6-1.
 
In addition to Haynes, Columbia's singles win came when Kerr defeated Sato at No. 2, 6-2, 6-1, Sakar defeated Savanna Ly-Nguyen 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-3 at No. 3 and Amineni defeated Ates 6-4, 2-6, 6-3 at No. 4.
 
The Cougars continue their two-match east coast swing when they face Fordham Monday at 8 a.m. PT.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Columbia 4, #35 Washington State 3
February 23, 2020
Dick Savitt Tennis Center
New York, N.Y.
 
DOUBLES

1. Michaela Bayerlova/Hikaru Sato (WSU) def. Akanksha Bhan/Paulina Ferrari (Col.) 6-3
2. Melisa Ates/Yang Lee (WSU) def. Melissa Sakar/Michelle Xu (Col.) 6-1
3. Jennifer Kerr/Shivani Amineni (Col.) def. Jovana Knezevic/Pang Jittakoat (WSU) 6-1

Order of Finish: 3,2,1
 
SINGLES

1. #63 Michaela Bayerlova (WSU) def. #102 Akanksha Bhan (Col.) 6-4, 6-4
2. Jennifer Kerr (Col.) def. Hikaru Sato (WSU) 6-2, 6-1
3. Melissa Sakar (Col.) def. Savanna Ly-Nguyen (WSU) 6-1, 6-7 (2), 6-3
4. Shivani Amineni (Col.) def. Melisa Ates (WSU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-3
5. Pang Jittakoat (WSU) Def. Michelle Xu (Col.) 2-6, 6-3, 7-6 (3)
6. Julia Haynes (Col.) def. Yang Lee (WSU) 6-2, 4-6, 7-6 (4)

Order of Finish: 2,1,4,3,5,6