Thursday, April 27
Ojai, CA
9:00 AM
University of Washington
4
vs
0
UCLA
Huskies Beat Bruins Again, Into Pac-12 Semifinals
April 27, 2023 | Women's Tennis
THIS WEEK IN HUSKY WOMEN'S TENNIS
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Ojai, Calif. | Weil Tennis Academy & Libbey Park
Quarterfinals, Thursday, Apr. 27
(4) Washington def. (5) UCLA, 4-0
Semifinals, Friday, Apr. 28
(4) Washington vs. (1) Stanford or (9) Arizona, 12 p.m., Weil
Live Video | Live Scores
OJAI, Calif. – Washington women's tennis played one of its best matches of the season in its postseason opener today, taking down 20th-ranked UCLA by a 4-0 score in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Championships. The 23rd-ranked Huskies (17-7) took down the Bruins, 4-3, in the regular season, and backed it up today with the tourney win at the Weil Tennis Academy.
The Dawgs now move into the Pac-12 semifinals for just the second time since the tournament switched to the team format in 2017. The last time the Huskies made the semis was 2019, which was also the last time the Huskies were a top-four seed.
This is just the fifth win for Washington over UCLA all-time, but three of those five wins have come in the past two seasons, one at home, one at UCLA, and now one on a neutral court.
Washington will face No. 1-seeded Stanford or No. 9 -seeded Arizona in the semifinal tomorrow at 12 noon. The winner will reach Saturday's championship match.
The Huskies played a stellar doubles point to take the 1-0 lead, then got three straight dominant singles victories from Astrid Olsen, Melissa Sakar, and Jennifer Kerr to clinch. UCLA was leading on two remaining courts and the Huskies were leading on the other.
In doubles, Kerr and Olsen first completed a 6-3 victory at the No. 2 spot over Catanzarite/Vagramov. The matches on No. 1 and No. 3 were both tied at 5-5, then the Huskies took 6-5 leads on both. The clincher came at three, where Sarah-Maude Fortin and Zehra Suko put away Tian/Lutkmeyer, 7-5, on a backhand winner up the line from Suko. Hikaru Sato and Erika Matsuda were at 6-5, 30-30, two points from possibly beating the 4th-ranked team in the country, but UW would settle for the lead.
Moving on to singles, the Huskies turned the pressure up even more, taking four first sets. Astrid Olsen was the first to post a singles point, as she rolled 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles over Ava Catanzairte.
Melissa Sakar on court six, trailed 2-3 in her first set against Anne-Christine Lutkmeyer, but then she ran off four games in a row to win the first set, 6-3, and made it 10 games in a row with a 6-0 second set shutout, making it 3-0 for the Dawgs.
Jennifer Kerr put the Bruins away on court No. 4. She cruised past Elise Wagle, 6-0, 6-3, to set off the Husky celebration.
UCLA was up a set and a break on courts one and five, while Fortin won her first set on court two, and was down a break in the second, when the match was stopped.
Washington Women's Tennis
Pac-12 Championships
April 27, 2023
Ojai, Calif. | Weil Tennis Academy
Quarterfinals
4-seed (#23) Washington – 4
5-seed (#20) UCLA – 0
Singles
1. (#112) Hikaru Sato (UW) vs. (#14) Fangran Tian (UCLA) – 2-6, 3-5, DNF
2. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) vs. (#115) Kimmi Hance (UCLA) – 7-5, 1-3, DNF
3. Astrid Olsen (UW) def. Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) – 6-1, 6-1
4. Jennifer Kerr (UW) def. Elise Wagle (UCLA) – 6-0, 6-3
5. Erika Matsuda (UW) vs. Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) – 4-6, 1-4, DNF
6. Melissa Sakar (UW) def. Anne-Christine Lutkmeyer (UCLA) – 6-3, 6-0
Order of finish: 3, 6, 4
Doubles
1. (#67) Matsuda/Sato (UW) vs. (#4) Hance/Wagle (UCLA) – 6-5, DNF
2. Kerr/Olsen (UW) def. Catanzarite/Vagramov (UCLA) – 6-3
3. Fortin/Suko (UW) def. Tian/Lutkmeyer (UCLA) – 7-5
Order of finish: 2, 3
PAC-12 CHAMPIONSHIPS
Ojai, Calif. | Weil Tennis Academy & Libbey Park
Quarterfinals, Thursday, Apr. 27
(4) Washington def. (5) UCLA, 4-0
Semifinals, Friday, Apr. 28
(4) Washington vs. (1) Stanford or (9) Arizona, 12 p.m., Weil
Live Video | Live Scores
OJAI, Calif. – Washington women's tennis played one of its best matches of the season in its postseason opener today, taking down 20th-ranked UCLA by a 4-0 score in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Championships. The 23rd-ranked Huskies (17-7) took down the Bruins, 4-3, in the regular season, and backed it up today with the tourney win at the Weil Tennis Academy.
The Dawgs now move into the Pac-12 semifinals for just the second time since the tournament switched to the team format in 2017. The last time the Huskies made the semis was 2019, which was also the last time the Huskies were a top-four seed.
DAWGS ADVANCE??@UW_WTennis is moving on to the #Pac12Tennis Semifinals!#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/vPj5GGcjVe
— Washington Athletics (@UWAthletics) April 27, 2023
This is just the fifth win for Washington over UCLA all-time, but three of those five wins have come in the past two seasons, one at home, one at UCLA, and now one on a neutral court.
Washington will face No. 1-seeded Stanford or No. 9 -seeded Arizona in the semifinal tomorrow at 12 noon. The winner will reach Saturday's championship match.
The Huskies played a stellar doubles point to take the 1-0 lead, then got three straight dominant singles victories from Astrid Olsen, Melissa Sakar, and Jennifer Kerr to clinch. UCLA was leading on two remaining courts and the Huskies were leading on the other.
???????? ????!! Jennifer Kerr CLINCHES!!
— Washington Women's Tennis (@UW_WTennis) April 27, 2023
The Huskies take out 20th-ranked UCLA and move into the Pac-12 Semifinals for the second time ever.
2?-0? against the Bruins this year ??#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/FnxuacgsBa
In doubles, Kerr and Olsen first completed a 6-3 victory at the No. 2 spot over Catanzarite/Vagramov. The matches on No. 1 and No. 3 were both tied at 5-5, then the Huskies took 6-5 leads on both. The clincher came at three, where Sarah-Maude Fortin and Zehra Suko put away Tian/Lutkmeyer, 7-5, on a backhand winner up the line from Suko. Hikaru Sato and Erika Matsuda were at 6-5, 30-30, two points from possibly beating the 4th-ranked team in the country, but UW would settle for the lead.
Moving on to singles, the Huskies turned the pressure up even more, taking four first sets. Astrid Olsen was the first to post a singles point, as she rolled 6-1, 6-1 at No. 3 singles over Ava Catanzairte.
Melissa Sakar on court six, trailed 2-3 in her first set against Anne-Christine Lutkmeyer, but then she ran off four games in a row to win the first set, 6-3, and made it 10 games in a row with a 6-0 second set shutout, making it 3-0 for the Dawgs.
Jennifer Kerr put the Bruins away on court No. 4. She cruised past Elise Wagle, 6-0, 6-3, to set off the Husky celebration.
UCLA was up a set and a break on courts one and five, while Fortin won her first set on court two, and was down a break in the second, when the match was stopped.
?? Dawgs CLINCH the doubles!! ??
— Washington Women's Tennis (@UW_WTennis) April 27, 2023
Zehra rips the backhand winner on match point for the 7-5 win on 3!
Hika and Erika were up 6-5 on the No. 4 doubles team in the country on court 1
UW - 1; UCLA - 0#GoHuskies pic.twitter.com/etVAHNwMig
Washington Women's Tennis
Pac-12 Championships
April 27, 2023
Ojai, Calif. | Weil Tennis Academy
Quarterfinals
4-seed (#23) Washington – 4
5-seed (#20) UCLA – 0
Singles
1. (#112) Hikaru Sato (UW) vs. (#14) Fangran Tian (UCLA) – 2-6, 3-5, DNF
2. Sarah-Maude Fortin (UW) vs. (#115) Kimmi Hance (UCLA) – 7-5, 1-3, DNF
3. Astrid Olsen (UW) def. Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) – 6-1, 6-1
4. Jennifer Kerr (UW) def. Elise Wagle (UCLA) – 6-0, 6-3
5. Erika Matsuda (UW) vs. Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) – 4-6, 1-4, DNF
6. Melissa Sakar (UW) def. Anne-Christine Lutkmeyer (UCLA) – 6-3, 6-0
Order of finish: 3, 6, 4
Doubles
1. (#67) Matsuda/Sato (UW) vs. (#4) Hance/Wagle (UCLA) – 6-5, DNF
2. Kerr/Olsen (UW) def. Catanzarite/Vagramov (UCLA) – 6-3
3. Fortin/Suko (UW) def. Tian/Lutkmeyer (UCLA) – 7-5
Order of finish: 2, 3
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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