Dawgs Settle In To Ground Pilots In Home Opener

SEATTLE – In its home opener, the Husky women’s tennis team had to handle an early challenge from the Portland Pilots, but the women of Washington were up to the task and pocketed a 6-1 victory with a sweep of singles play. The Huskies improved to 3-0 and will have another opportunity to play in the Nordstrom Tennis Center on Sunday against Portland State.
 
The Pilots were able to grab two of the three doubles matches to earn the 1-0 lead heading into singles. Jennifer Kerr and Melissa Sakar teamed for a 6-4 win at No. 3 to even doubles at a win per side, but Portland pulled out the No. 1 match, 6-4, over Astrid Olsen and Hikaru Sato.
 
Against an opponent hungry for an upset, the Huskies could have let nerves get the best of them, but they had the calm and experienced response in singles. In four of the singles matches, Washington did not give up more than two games in a set. Jennifer Kerr, Erika Matsuda, Hikaru Sato, and Melissa Sakar all had straight set wins in that order to clinch the team win.
 
Leading 4-1, Astrid Olsen got the fifth point with a 10-2 super-tiebreak win on court three. She shook off a 2-6 opening set loss to dominate the second set, 6-1, and force the breaker. Then Sarah-Maude Fortin completed a 7-5, 6-3 win at No. 2 singles over Sally Pethybridge, fighting back from 0-3 and 3-5 down in the first set to take control.
 
The Dawgs and Vikings will go at 12 noon tomorrow. UW was originally scheduled against Eastern Washington, but the Eagles had to cancel their trip and PSU was able to step it.
 
Washington Women’s Tennis
January 28, 2023
Seattle, Wash. | Nordstrom Tennis Center
 
Washington – 6
Portland – 1
 
Singles
1. Hikaru Sato (UW) def. Iva Zelic (UP) – 6-2, 6-2
2. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) def. Sally Pethybridge (UP) – 7-5, 6-3
3. Astrid Olsen (UW) def. Rimona Rouf (UP) – 2-6, 6-1, (10-2)
4. Jennifer Kerr (UW) def. Aleksandra Dimitrijevic (UP) – 6-2, 6-1
5. Melissa Sakar (UW) def. Meagan Pearson (UP) – 6-1, 6-2
6. Erika Matsuda (UW) def. Alaia Rubio Perez (UP) – 6-1, 6-1
Order of finish: 4, 6, 1, 5, 3, 2
 
Doubles
1. Zelic/Pethybridge (UP) def. Olsen/Sato (UW) – 6-4
2. Rouf/Dimitrijevic (UP) def. (#56) Fortin/Matsuda (UW) – 6-3
3. Kerr/Sakar (UW) def. Pearson/Watanabe (UP) – 6-4
Order of finish: 2, 3, 1