LINCOLN, Neb. (Jan. 25, 2025) – After dropping the opening doubles point, Washington State Tennis claimed five of six singles matches to secure a 5-2 win over Wichita State Saturday in a neutral-site match played at the Sid and Hazel Dillon Tennis Center.
 
With the win, WSU improves to 5-0 on the year, while Wichita State falls to 1-3.
 
Wichita State opened the match by winning the doubles point with victories on Courts 1 and 3. On Court 3, The shocker's duo of Anne Knuettel and Sati Aubakirova rode a pair of service breaks to a 6-2 win over Hannia Abouelsaad and Martina Markov. At No. 1 The Cougars duo of Eva Alvarez Sande and Maxine Murphy suffered a late service break to fall to Giorgia Roselli and Xin Tong Wang, 7-5. Th match at No. 2 was stopped with the point decided, with the Shockers' Theodora Chantava and Kristiina Kudryatseva leading Elyse Tse and Chisato Kanemaki, 6-5.
 
In singles action, The cougars tied it at 1-1 when Markova completed a 7-5, 6-4 win over Tatyana Nikolenko at No. 6. Wichita State regained its final lead of the day when Knuettel escaped with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Martina Puvill and No. 5. Washington State captured the final four matches as Murphy started the streak with a 7-5, 6-4 win over Roselli at No. 2. Tse put the Cougars ahead for good with a come-from-behind, 3-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over Chantava at No. 3 before Alvarez Sande clinched the team victory following a 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0 win at No. 1 over No. 62 Wang.
 
Abouelsaad closed out the win with a 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (3) victory over Kudryavtseva at No. 4. The Cougars' 5-0 record is its best start to a season since opening 6-0 in 2019.
 
Wahington concludes its two-match trip to the Midwest by facing Nebraska Sunday at 9:30 a.m. PT.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
Washington State 5 def. Wichita State 2
January 25, 2025
Sid and Hazel Tennis Center
Lincoln, Neb.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 Giorgia Roselli/Xin Tong Wang (Wich St.) def. Eva Alvarez Sande/Maxine Murphy (Wash St.) 7-5
No. 2 Elyse Tse/Chisato Kanemaki (Wash St.) vs. Theodora Chantava/Kristina Kudryavtseva (Wich St.) 5-6 DNF
No. 3 Anne Knuettel/Sati Aubakirova (Wich St.) def. Hannia Abouelsaad/Martina Markov (Wash St.) 6-2
Order of Finish: 3,1
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (Wash St.) def. #62 Xin Tong Wang (Wich St.) 4-6, 7-6 (3), 6-0
No. 2 Maxine Murphy (Wash St.) def. Giorgia Roselli (Wich St.) 7-5, 6-4
No. 3 Elyse Tse (Wash St.) def. Theodora Chantava (Wich St.) 3-6, 6-2, 6-4
No 4 #123 Hania Abouelsaad (Wash St.) def. Kristina Kudryavtseva (Wich St.) 5-7, 6-1, 7-6 (3)
No. 5 Anne Knuettel (Wich St.) def. Martina Puvill (Wash St.) 7-5, 6-4
No. 6 Martina Markov (Wash St.) def. Tatyana Nikolenko (Wich St.) 7-5, 6-4
Order of Finish: 6,5,2,3,1,4