FORT WORTH, Texas (Feb. 22, 2025) –Washington State Tennis' comeback fell just short as the No. 45 Cougars dropped a 4-3 decision against No. 53 TCU Saturday at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center. With the loss, WSU falls to 9-5 on the season while TCU improves to 4-3.
 
Trailing 3-1 with three matches remaining, Cougar junior Eva Alvarez Sande cut that lead to 3-2 with a 6-3, 6-3 win over Jade Otway at No. 1 singles. Redshirt-sophomore Maxine Murphy, who dropped the first set 5-7, rallied for the come-from-behind win, defeating Raquel Caballero 5-7, 6-1, 6-4 at No. 2 singles, tying the match at 3-3 and forcing the deciding point to Court 3.
 
At No. 3, TCU's Isabel Pascual and WSU senior Elyse Tse were locked in a marathon battle. After Pascual captured the first set 6-4, Tse rallied in the second, saving three match points before winning the tiebreaker, 9-7, and forcing a third set. In the third, they went back-and-forth until a late break of serve provided Pascual with the 6-4, 6-7, 6-4 victory, giving TCU the 4-3 team win.
 
TCU jumped out quick in singles, capturing straight-set wins on Courts 4, 5 and 6. At No. 6, TCU's Maya Drozd defeated Martina Puvill, 6-2, 6-1 while Tomi Main, ranked No. 100 nationally, cruised past Martina Markov 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5. Hania Abouelsaad led early but fell to Yu-Chin Tsai 6-3, 6-2, giving TCU a 3-1 advantage.
 
In doubles action, TCU struck first as its No. 3 pair of Helena Narmont and Tsai defeated WSU's Abouelsaad and Puvill, 6-1. Not long after, WSU evened thing sup as Tse and Chisato Kanemaki completed a 6-2 win over Caballero and Martin, pushing the deciding match to Court 1. In a battle of nationally-ranked teams, WSU's 88th-ranked pair of Alvarez Sande and Murphy rode and early break of serve to a 6-4 win over No. 24 Jade Otway and Isabel Pascual to give WSU the opening doubles point.
 
The Cougars take a break from competition and play next March 7 when they host Portland State.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
#53 TCU 4 def. #45 Washington State 3
February 22, 2025
Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center
Fort Worth, Texas
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 #88 Eva Alvarez Sande/Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. #24 Jade Otway/Isabel Pascual (TCU) 6-4
No. 2 Elyse Tse/Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) def. Raquel Caballero/Tomi Main (TCU) 6-2
No. 3 Helena Narmont/Yu-Chin Tsai (TCU) def. Hania Abouelsaad/Martina Puvill (WS) 6-1
Order of Finish: 3,2,1
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Jade Otway (TCU) 6-3, 6-3
No. 2 Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Raquel Caballero (TCU) 5-7, 6-1, 6-4
No. 3 Isabel Pascual (TCU) def. Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-4, 6-7 (7), 6-4
No. 4 Yu-Chin Tsai (TCU) def. Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) 6-3, 6-2
No. 5 #100 Tomi Main (TCU) def. Martina Markov (WSU) 6-1, 6-0
No. 6 Maya Drozd (TCU) def. Martina Puvill (WSU) 6-2, 6-1
Order of Finish: 5,6,4,1,2,3