PULLMAN, Wash. — Washington State women’s tennis saw a freshman pick up a nationally ranked win for a second straight match as Yura Nakagawa defeated No. 64 Ava Catanzarite 6-3, 6-3, at No. 2 singles. Washington State (7-6, 0-2 Pac-12) fell 5-2 to No. 63 UCLA (4-3, 1-1 Pac-12) in its second home Pac-12 contest of the season.
The Cougs dropped the dubs point after UCLA won court three and clinched the team point with a 6-2 win from its sixth-ranked doubles pair at the No. 1 spot.
Yura Nakagawa won the opening set, and following brief medical timeout, won three of the final four games to close out her first ranked win of the year in straight sets.
Elyse Tse was up a break late in the opening set when she was broken at 5-4, but the sophomore from New Zealand answered righ back with a strong ensuing game to break back for the one-set lead. Tse then jumped ahead early in the second set with a break to go up 3-1, before holding on to even the match for WSU with her 6-4, 6-3 win.
UCLA later clinched the match with wins at No. 4 and No. 5, respectively, before picking up the final point of the afternoon at the No. 6 spot.
Washington State will continue its five-match home stand to begin Pac-12 play on Fri., March 17, as it hosts Arizona beginning at 1:30 p.m. (PST).
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 63 UCLA 5, def. Washington State 2
March 5, 2023
Simmelink Tennis Courts
Pullman, Wash.
DOUBLES
Order of Finish: 3, 1
SINGLES
2. Yura Nakagawa (WSU) def. #64 Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) 6-3, 6-4
3. Elyse Tse (WSU) def. Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 6-4, 6-3
4. A. Lutkemeyer (UCLA) def. Fifa Kumhom (WSU) 6-4, 2-6, 6-1
Order of Finish: 2, 1, 3, 4, 5*, 6
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