ORLANDO, Fla. – Fangran Tian of the UCLA women’s tennis team kept her run going in individuals play at the NCAA Division I Championships, defeating Alexandra Yepifanova of Stanford in straight sets Wednesday to reach the singles quarterfinal round.
Tian bested the Pac-12 Singles Player of the Year 7-5, 6-3 at the USTA National Campus to become one of the field’s final eight competitors. Next up for the Bruin is a Thursday showdown with Kari Miller of Michigan. Miller knocked off Ariana Arsenault of Auburn Wednesday and, like Tian, has prevailed in straight sets each time out during the tournament.
Tian held serve for 1-0 to open her contest with Yepifanova. The next four games ended in breaks and Yepifanova followed with a hold for 3-3. The match remained on serve until the final game, when Tian broke for 7-5.
Yepifanova broke out of the gate for a 1-0 advantage in the second set. Tian answered with one of her own, though, getting the match back on serve. The decisive break came at 3-2 from Tian, who used it en route to a 6-3 set win and overall victory.
Tian’s trip to the singles quarterfinals represents a first for the UCLA women’s tennis since Abbey Forbes accomplished the feat in 2021. A win Thursday would give the program its first semifinalist since Riza Zalameda in 2005.
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