No. 11 Stanford Tops Cougars, 4-1
Â
STANFORD, Calif. (April 15, 2023) – Redshirt-sophomore
Hania Abouelsaad picked up Washington State's lone victory Saturday as No. 11 Stanford completed a 4-1 victory over the Cougars at the Taube Family Tennis Center.
Â
After taking the opening doubles point, the Cardinal picked up three wins in singles action to clinch the match. The Cougars tied the match early on at 1-1 as Abouelsaad, playing at No. 4 singles, won the first set 6-3 against Stanford's Alexis Blokhina, ranked No. 70 nationally. After the first, Blokhina was forced to retire, giving Abouelsaad her first Pac-12 win of the season.
Â
In other singles action, Stanford's Angelica Blake, ranked No. 36, defeated
Elyse Tse, 6-1 6-1 at No. 3, Valencia Xu posted a 6-1, 6-2 win over WSU's
Stefaniia Mikhailova at No. 5, while at No. 6, Stanford's Sara Choy finished off
Tiffany Phout, 6-0, 6-0.
Â
Two matches were abandoned as the team victory was clinched, with WSU's
Eva Alvarez Sande narrowly losing a first-set tiebreak to No. 28 Alexandra Yepifanova, 7-6 (9-7), and play had not started in the second. At No. 2, WSU's
Yura Nakagawa was down 6-2, 5-2 to Connie Ma, ranked No. 14 nationally, when play was stopped.
Â
In doubles to start the day, Stanford captured wins on Courts 1 and 3 to clinch the opening point. At No. 3, Ma and Xu had no trouble with Abouelsaad and
Yang Lee, winning 6-0. At No. 1, Blake and Blokhina, ranked No. 28, escaped with a 6-4 win over the 53rd-ranked duo of Alvarez Sande and Tse. On Court 2, WSU's
Fifa Kumhom and Nakagawa were on serve against Yepifanova and Emma Sun at 4-5, when play was stopped.
Â
The Cougars conclude their regular-season dual schedule next Saturday at No. 19 Washington. Match time in Seattle is set for Noon.
Â
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 11 Stanford (17-2, 9-0) 4 def. Washington State (7-13, 0-9) 1
April 15, 2023
Taube Family Tennis Center
Stanford, Calif.
Â
DOUBLES
1. #28 Angelica Blake/Alexis Blokhina (STAN) def. #53
Eva Alvarez Sande/
Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-4Â
2.
Fifa Kumhom/
Yura Nakagawa (WSU) vs. Emma Sun/Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 4-5 DNFÂ
3. Connie Ma/Valencia Xu (STAN) def.
Hania Abouelsaad/
Yang Lee (WSU) 6-0Â
Order of Finish: 3, 1Â Â
SINGLES
1.
Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) vs. #28 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 6-7(7) DNFÂ
2.
Yura Nakagawa (WSU) vs. #14 Connie Ma (STAN) 2-6, 2-5 DNFÂ
3. #36 Angelica Blake (STAN) def.
Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-1, 6-1Â
4.
Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) de. #70 Alexis Blokhina (STAN) 6-3, ret.Â
5. Valencia Xu (STAN) def.
Stefaniia Mikhailova (WSU) 6-1, 6-2Â
6. Sara Choy (STAN) def.
Tiffany Phout (WSU) 6-0, 6-0Â
Order of Finish: 6,4,3,5
Â