No. 11 Stanford Tops Cougars, 4-1

No. 11 Stanford Tops Cougars, 4-1
 
STANFORD, Calif. (April 15, 2023) – Redshirt-sophomore Hania Abouelsaad picked up Washington State’s lone victory Saturday as No. 11 Stanford completed a 4-1 victory over the Cougars at the Taube Family Tennis Center.
 
After taking the opening doubles point, the Cardinal picked up three wins in singles action to clinch the match. The Cougars tied the match early on at 1-1 as Abouelsaad, playing at No. 4 singles, won the first set 6-3 against Stanford’s Alexis Blokhina, ranked No. 70 nationally. After the first, Blokhina was forced to retire, giving Abouelsaad her first Pac-12 win of the season.
 
In other singles action, Stanford’s Angelica Blake, ranked No. 36, defeated Elyse Tse, 6-1 6-1 at No. 3, Valencia Xu posted a 6-1, 6-2 win over WSU’s Stefaniia Mikhailova at No. 5, while at No. 6, Stanford’s Sara Choy finished off Tiffany Phout, 6-0, 6-0.
 
Two matches were abandoned as the team victory was clinched, with WSU’s Eva Alvarez Sande narrowly losing a first-set tiebreak to No. 28 Alexandra Yepifanova, 7-6 (9-7), and play had not started in the second. At No. 2, WSU’s Yura Nakagawa was down 6-2, 5-2 to Connie Ma, ranked No. 14 nationally, when play was stopped.
 
In doubles to start the day, Stanford captured wins on Courts 1 and 3 to clinch the opening point. At No. 3, Ma and Xu had no trouble with Abouelsaad and Yang Lee, winning 6-0. At No. 1, Blake and Blokhina, ranked No. 28, escaped with a 6-4 win over the 53rd-ranked duo of Alvarez Sande and Tse. On Court 2, WSU’s Fifa Kumhom and Nakagawa were on serve against Yepifanova and Emma Sun at 4-5, when play was stopped.
 
The Cougars conclude their regular-season dual schedule next Saturday at No. 19 Washington. Match time in Seattle is set for Noon.
 
WASHINGTON STATE TENNIS
No. 11 Stanford (17-2, 9-0) 4 def. Washington State (7-13, 0-9) 1
April 15, 2023
Taube Family Tennis Center
Stanford, Calif.
 
DOUBLES
1. #28 Angelica Blake/Alexis Blokhina (STAN) def. #53 Eva Alvarez Sande/Elyse Tse (WSU) 6-4 
2. Fifa Kumhom/Yura Nakagawa (WSU) vs. Emma Sun/Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 4-5 DNF 
3. Connie Ma/Valencia Xu (STAN) def. Hania Abouelsaad/Yang Lee (WSU) 6-0 
Order of Finish: 3, 1  

SINGLES

1. Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) vs. #28 Alexandra Yepifanova (STAN) 6-7(7) DNF 

2. Yura Nakagawa (WSU) vs. #14 Connie Ma (STAN) 2-6, 2-5 DNF 

3. #36 Angelica…