Washington State University Athletics

OJAI, Calif. – Donika Bashota picked up her 30th victory on the season as the Washington State tennis team wrapped up day one at the Pac-12 Championships at the Ojai Valley Tennis Center Thursday afternoon.

In the Championship Flight Bashota, in her first Pac-12 Championship, continued her dominate season by outdueling the No. 55-ranked Madison Westby of USC, 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 to advance to the round of 16. Bashota’s next match had her facing California’s Klara Fabikova, the No. 4-seed of the Flight and No. 25th-ranked player nationally. Bashota couldn’t keep pace and fell 6-3, 6-4. With the victory over Westby, Bashota becomes the fourth Cougar all-time to win 30 matches in a single-season.

Elizaveta Luzina and Lize Leenknecht both joined Bashota in the Championship Flight but were unable to advance to the round of 16, falling to their respective opponents. Luzina was tasked with the No. 3 seed, Sabrina Santamaria of USC, who is ranked No. 21 nationally, but was bested 6-3, 6-4.

Leenknecht and Oregon’s Nia Rose, who is ranked No. 78, engaged in a hard-fought, three sets battle. Leenknecht captured the first set, 6-2, before Rose rallied back with a 6-3 second forcing a deciding third. Leenknecht took an early 3-1 lead but ran into trouble late, and dropped the set 6-4, rounding off a 6-2, 3-6, 4-6 loss.

In the Invitational Flight, both Nastia Vasyukhina and Holly Monahan got their first taste of Pac-12 Championship action. Monahan faced the No. 7-seed Joanna Smith from ASU but struggled 6-0, 6-1, while Vasyukhina fell to Oregon’s Marlou Kluiving 7-5, 6-1.

The Cougars return to action Friday morning with doubles play where WSU’s duo of Bashota and Leenknecht will face Arizona State’s No.25-ranked duo of Desirae Krawczyk and Stephanie Vlad in the Doubles Championship Flight, while Luzina and Monahan will see Jena Cheng and Sarah Richter of Utah in the Doubles Invitational Flight.

--wsucougars.com--

SINGLES
Championship Flight – Round of 32
Nia Rose (ORE) def. Lize Leenknecht (WSU), 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
Donika Bashota (WSU) def. Madison Westby (USC), 6-4, 4-6, 6-4
No. 3 Sabrina Santamaria (USC) def. Elizaveta Luzina (WSU), 6-3, 6-4

Championship Flight – Round of 16
No. 4 Klara Fabikova (CAL) def. Donika Bashota (WSU), 6-3, 6-4

Invitational Flight ­– Round of 32
Marlou Kluiving (ORE) def. Nastia Vasyukhina (WSU), 7-5, 6-1
No. 7 Joanna Smith (ASU) def. Holly Monahan (WSU), 6-0, 6-1