No. 30 California Defeats Cougars, 6-1

BERKELEY, Calif.  – Washington State freshman Eva Alvarez Sande picked up her team-leading 19th singles victory of the season but it was not enough as No. 30 California posted a 6-1 win over the Cougars Friday afternoon at the Hellman Tennis Complex.
 
In doubles play to begin the day, the Bears (10-7, 6-2) came away with two tight victories to secure the opening point. At No. 2, Cal’s pair of Haley Giavara and Valentina Ivanov rode an early break to a 6-3 win over Fifa Kumhom and Yura Nakagawa at No. 2. On Court 1, WSU’s (7-12, 0-8) duo of Alvarez Sande and Elyse Tse rallied from 2-5 down to close with 4-5, but could not complete the comeback as Jessica Alsola and Katja Wiersholm, ranked No. 9 nationally, came away with the 6-4 win. The loss was the first of the season for the Cougar duo, who entered the match ranked No. 53. At No. 3, WSU’s Yang Lee and Hania Abouelsaad were on serve against Berta Passola Folch and Erin Richardson when the match was abandoned at 5-6.
 
In singles play, Alvarez Sande provided the lone Cougar victory as she rallied for a 6-3, 0-6, 6-4 win over Giavara, who finished last season ranked No. 36 in the nation. The win was the 19th of the season for the Cougar freshman and improved her Pac-12 record to 4-3.
 
Cal came away with straight-set victories in four of the remaining five singles matches. At No. 2, Nakagawa pushed Alsola, ranked No. 48, to a second-set tiebreaker before falling 6-1, 7-6 (5), while Wiersholm escaped her first-set tiebreaker against Tse at No. 3 en route to a 7-6 (5), 6-1 win.
 
At No. 4, Kumhom split her first two sets against Ivanov before falling 6-2, 4-6, 6-1 while Passola Folch defeated Abouelsaad 6-1, 6-1 at No. 5 and Cal’s Hannah Viller Moeller defeated Stefaniia Mikhailova 6-4, 6-4 at No. 6.
 
The Cougars are next in action Saturday at 11:30 a.m. when they visit No. 11 Stanford.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 30 California 6 def. Washington State 1
April 14, 2023
Hellman Tennis Complex
Berkeley, Calif.
 
DOUBLES
No. 1 #9 Jessica Alsola/Katja Wiersholm (Cal) def. #53 Eva Alvarez Sande/Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-4
No. 2 Haley Giavara/Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. Fifa Kumhom/Yura Nakagawa (WSU) 6-3
No. 3 Hania Abouelsaad/Yang Lee (WSU) vs. Berta Passola Folch/Erin Richardson (Cal) 5-6 DNF
Order of Finish: 2,1
 
SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Haley Giavara (Cal) 6-3, 0-6, 6-4
No….