Dawgs Win Doubles But Cal Sweeps Singles

BERKELEY, Calif. – A doubles point victory clinched by a top-10 upset at the No. 1 doubles spot provided an early spark for the 19th-ranked Husky women’s tennis team, but Washington couldn’t fan the flames in singles and 30th-ranked Cal extinguished it with wins on all six singles courts in a 6-1 loss for the Dawgs.
 
Washington dropped its fourth-straight Pac-12 road match to fall to 15-7 on the year and 5-4 in conference play while Cal improved to 11-7 and 7-2 in Pac-12 play. The Huskies will look to regroup at home next Saturday against rival Washington State in the regular season and home finale.
 
Things couldn’t have started much better for the Dawgs, as the revamped doubles lineup got its first doubles point today. The one duo out of the three which remained intact got the first win, as Jennifer Kerr and Astrid Olsen beat Giavara/Ivanov at No. 2, 6-3.
 
At No. 1, Hikaru Sato and Erika Matsuda built a 5-2 lead over 9th-rankd Alsola/Wiersholm, but the Bear pair rallied to tie it at 5-5. It was 5-5 at the same time at No. 3 doubles where Sarah-Maude Fortin and Zehra Suko were facing Richardson/Passola Folch. Cal took the lead on the third court, but Sato and Matsuda pulled out the final two games for the 7-5 victory to clinch the point, and the No. 3 match was halted.
 
But Cal quickly turned the tables in singles, winning four of the six first sets. And on those four courts, Cal pulled away quickly in the second sets, not allowing more than two games in any second set. Wins at the top three singles spots, plus No. 6, clinched things for the Bears, 4-1.
 
The final two matches were played out, but at four and five, Cal rallied from down a set to win in three. Erika Matsuda narrowly missed a Bay Area sweep as she fell 4-6 in the third set at No. 5 to Berta Passola Folch, and Jennifer Kerr played a 10-point third set tiebreak and dropped it, 10-6, to Valentina Ivanov.
 
Washington Women’s Tennis
April 15, 2023
Berkeley, Calif. | Hellman Tennis Stadium
 
#19 Washington – 1
#30 California – 6
 
Singles
1. Haley Giavara (Cal) def. (#101) Hikaru Sato (UW) – 6-1, 6-2
2. (#48) Jessica Alsola (Cal) def. Astrid Olsen (UW) – 6-0, 6-1
3. Katja Wiersholm (Cal) def. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) – 6-3, 6-1
4. Valentina Ivanov (Cal) def. Jennifer Kerr (UW) – 5-7, 6-2, (10-6)
5. Berta Passola Folch (Cal) def. Erika Matsuda (UW) – 1-6, 6-3, 6-4
6. Hannah Viller Moeller (Cal) def. Melissa Sakar (UW) – 6-4, 6-1
Order of finish: 2, 1, 6,…