PULLMAN, Wash. — Freshman Eva Alvarez Sande (15-11) defeated 24-ranked Eryn Cayetano, 10-7, in a decisive, third-set tiebreak for the first nationally ranked singles win of her career as Washington State women's tennis (7-5, 0-1 Pac-12) fell, 6-1, Friday at Simmelink Tennis Courts.
Alvarez Sande came out firing with a hold and a double-break to begin her first-career match playing the No. 1 spot in the Cougs' lineup. Facing a second-consecutive deuce point on her serve, she prevailed with a huge forehand winner cross court to take the set, 6-2. After dropping a tight second set, 7-5, Sande recovered from a slow start and won three consecutive points to even the third-set breaker at 6-6 going into the second changeover.
Following a quick chat with Assistant Coach Fons Verberne, she won three of the next four points to close out the match. The freshman Spaniard then watched a forehand fly past the baseline at the end of a long rally for a 9-7 lead before outlasting No. 24 Cayetano one last time on her first match point opportunity, winning the deciding tiebreaker, 10-7.
Washington State kept the doubles point close to begin the day as Stefaniia Mikhailova and Tiffany Phout grabbed an early double break to go ahead, 3-0, on court No. 3. After the Cougs won a deuce point to even the No. 2 matchup at 4-4, USC backed up its win from its ranked No. 1 pair with a 6-4 comeback win at No. 3 doubles to clinch the point. USC later claimed wins at Nos. 2, 3, and 4, respectively, to clinch the match at 4-0.
Washington State will continue its conference-opening weekend on Sunday when it hosts UCLA beginning at 11 a.m. (PST).
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 31 Southern Cal 6, def. Washington State 1
No. 1 #19 Snow Han/Naomi Cheong (USC) def. Yura Nakagawa/Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) 6-2.
No. 2 Elyse Tse/Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) vs. Eryn Cayetano/Emma Charney (USC) 4-4, unfinished
No. 3 Grace Piper/NathalieRodilosso (USC) def. Stefaniia Mikhailova/Tiffany Phout (WSU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. #24 Eryn Cayetano (USC) 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
No. 2 #43 Snow Han (USC) def. Yura Nakagawa (WSU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Naomi Cheong (USC) def. Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 #124 Emma Charney (USC) def. Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 5 #111 McKenna Koenig (USC) def.Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) 6-4, 1-1
No. 6 Grace Piper (USC) def. Stefaniia Mikhailova (WSU) 6-2, 5-0
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 1, 6, 5
Alvarez Sande came out firing with a hold and a double-break to begin her first-career match playing the No. 1 spot in the Cougs' lineup. Facing a second-consecutive deuce point on her serve, she prevailed with a huge forehand winner cross court to take the set, 6-2. After dropping a tight second set, 7-5, Sande recovered from a slow start and won three consecutive points to even the third-set breaker at 6-6 going into the second changeover.
Following a quick chat with Assistant Coach Fons Verberne, she won three of the next four points to close out the match. The freshman Spaniard then watched a forehand fly past the baseline at the end of a long rally for a 9-7 lead before outlasting No. 24 Cayetano one last time on her first match point opportunity, winning the deciding tiebreaker, 10-7.
Washington State kept the doubles point close to begin the day as Stefaniia Mikhailova and Tiffany Phout grabbed an early double break to go ahead, 3-0, on court No. 3. After the Cougs won a deuce point to even the No. 2 matchup at 4-4, USC backed up its win from its ranked No. 1 pair with a 6-4 comeback win at No. 3 doubles to clinch the point. USC later claimed wins at Nos. 2, 3, and 4, respectively, to clinch the match at 4-0.
Washington State will continue its conference-opening weekend on Sunday when it hosts UCLA beginning at 11 a.m. (PST).
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 31 Southern Cal 6, def. Washington State 1
March 3, 2023
Simmelink Tennis Courts
Simmelink Tennis Courts
Pullman, Wash.
DOUBLESNo. 1 #19 Snow Han/Naomi Cheong (USC) def. Yura Nakagawa/Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) 6-2.
No. 2 Elyse Tse/Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) vs. Eryn Cayetano/Emma Charney (USC) 4-4, unfinished
No. 3 Grace Piper/NathalieRodilosso (USC) def. Stefaniia Mikhailova/Tiffany Phout (WSU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 1, 3
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. #24 Eryn Cayetano (USC) 6-2, 5-7, 1-0 (10-7)
No. 2 #43 Snow Han (USC) def. Yura Nakagawa (WSU) 6-2, 6-2
No. 3 Naomi Cheong (USC) def. Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-4, 6-3
No. 4 #124 Emma Charney (USC) def. Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-2, 6-3
No. 5 #111 McKenna Koenig (USC) def.Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) 6-4, 1-1
No. 6 Grace Piper (USC) def. Stefaniia Mikhailova (WSU) 6-2, 5-0
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 1, 6, 5