PULLMAN, Wash. – After dropping the opening doubles point, Washington State stormed back to capture four singles matches to complete a 4-2 victory over No. 51 Colorado Sunday at the WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts. With the win, the Cougars improved to 9-5 overall, 1-3 in Pac-12 play. Colorado suffers just its third loss of the season and falls to 12-3, 1-2.
 
After dropping the opening points, the Cougars quickly tied the match as junior Elyse Tse convincingly defeated Elys Ventura, 6-0, 6-2 at No. 2, to give WSU it's first point. Colorado regained the lead at 2-1 when Carrie Hayes posted a 6-2, 6-3 win over Martina Markov at No. 6. At the time, Colorado had won the first set in two other matches but drew no closer.
 
Senior Fifa Kumhom drew the Cougars even with a 6-3, 6-4 win over Alexandra Abyasova at No. 4. It marked the 50th career singles win for Kumhom as a Cougar. Three matches remained and all were in the third set to determine a winner.
 
At No. 1, WSU's Eva Alvarez Sande was in a tight battle with Aya El Sayed, as the two split the first two sets by identical 6-4 scores, with El Sayed taking the first and Alvarez Sande the second. The third set belonged to the WSU sophomore as she opened with a break and never looked back in completing a 4-6, 6-4, 6-1 win at No. 1. Within a minute after the conclusion of that match, sophomore Yura Nakagawa clinched WSU's first conference win of the season with a 6-2, 2-6, 6-4 win over Mila Stanojevic at No. 3. The victory sealed WSU's first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 35 Washington, Apr. 20, 2022
 
The final match was abandoned as senior Hania Abouelsaad was on the comeback trail, leading in the third set, 5-7, 6-4 2-1.
 
Doubles play started the match and the Cougars jumped out quickly as Nakagawa and Kumhom posted a 6-2 win over Stanojevic and Ventura at No. 2. Colorado evened things as Anya Nelson and Ema Bubalo rallied for a 1-3 deficit to defeated Abouelsaad and Markova, 6-3 at No. 3. The doubles point came down to No. 1 where WSU's Alvarez Sande and Tse came from 3-5 down to force a tiebreaker. The Cougar duo saved three match points, had one of its own, but could not close it out as the Buff's El Sayed and Rebec escaped with a 11-9 tiebreak victory to take the opening point.
 
Washington State is next in action Friday when it takes a week off from Pac-12 play to face Cal State Northridge in Northridge, Calif.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 4 def. #51 Colorado 2
March 17, 2024
WSU Outdoor Tennis Courts
Pullman, Wash.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1) Aya El Sayed/Pia Rebec (COLO) def. Eva Alvarez Sande/Elyse Tse (WSU 7-6 (9)
No. 2 Yura Nakagawa/Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Mila Stanojevic/Elys Ventura (COLO) 6-2
No. 3 Anya Nelson/Ema Bubalo (COLO) def. Hania Abouelsaad/Martina Markov (WSU) 6-4
Order of Finish: 2,3,1
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Aya El Sayed (COLO) 5-7, 6-4, 6-1
No. 2 Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Elys Ventura (COLO) 6-0, 6-2
No. 3 Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. Mila Stanojevic (COLO) 6-2, 2-6, 6-4
No. 4 Fifa Kumhom (WSU) def. Alexandra Abyasova (COLO) 6-2, 6-3
No. 5 Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) vs. Pia Rebec (COLO) 5-7, 6-4, 2-1 DNF
No. 6 Carri Hayes (COLO) def. Martina Markov (WSU) 6-2, 6-3
Order or Finish: 2,6,4,1,5