DAVIS, Calif. — In a nearly four-hour marathon, Division II No. 39 UC San Diego left an impression at Marya Welch Tennis Center, defeating the Aggies in a deciding 4-3 outcome.
The Aggies dropped the doubles point to the Tritons with a rare loss at No. 2 doubles, but not before Kelsie Bryant and Sara Tsukamoto delivered a dominant 6-1 performance at No. 1 over UCSD's Ashley Chao and Becky Chou. Chao and Chou were 8-3 this year at the top doubles spot.
In singles play, Tsukamoto and Bryant finished the day undefeated, as they each earned straight-set wins at No. 2 and No. 6, respectively, to give UC Davis the only lead of the day at 2-1. Tsukamoto dispatched Triton senior Alexandra Weil, 6-4, 6-1, while Bryant earned her first dual win of the season over freshman Anu Bhadada, 7-5, 6-4. Nikita Pradeep struggled in the second set against Chao, but pulled off a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 victory at No. 1 for her eighth win this season.
With Pradeep's victory, the team score became tied at 3-3, and attention turned to Kristina Breisacher's court, where she had just begun a third set. Breisacher was poised to put away the match at 5-2 in the third, but UC San Diego's Chloe Wight played gutsy tennis, and battled back to pull ahead 6-5. Both players saved match points, but it was Wight who ended on top, winning her match and the overall match in a 4-3 result.
The Aggies return action on Sunday, Mar. 30, at Causeway Cup rival Sacramento State, for the last road match until the Big West Conference Championships at the end of April. Sunday's match is scheduled to begin at 11 AM.
UC San Diego 4, UC Davis 3
Friday, March 29, 2019
Davis, Calif.
Doubles
1. Sara Tsukamoto/Kelsie Bryant (UCD) def. Becky Chou/Ashley Chao (UCSD) 6-1
2. Alexandra Weil/Madison Hale (UCSD) def. Shirley Hall/Nikita Pradeep (UCD) 6-4
3. Chloe Wight/Shweta Kumar (UCSD) def. Kristina Breisacher/Jessica Walker (UCD) 6-2
Order of Finish: 1, 3, 2
Singles
1. Nikita Pradeep (UCD) def. Ashley Chao (UCSD) 6-2, 4-6, 6-3
2. Sara Tsukamoto (UCD) def. Alexandra Weil (UCSD) 6-4, 6-1
3. Becky Chou (UCSD) def. Shirley Hall (UCD) 6-3, 4-6, 6-2
4. Chloe Wight (UCSD) def. Kristina Breisacher (UCD) 7-6 (7-4), 2-6, 7-6 (7-0)
5. Shweta Kumar (UCSD) def. Jessica Walker (UCD) 6-1, 7-6 (8-6)
6. Kelsie Bryant (UCD) def. Anu Bhadada (UCSD) 7-5, 6-4
Order of Finish: 2, 6, 5, 3, 1, 4
ABOUT UC DAVIS
Providing a small-town community feel while providing a world-class academic experience, UC Davis is home to more than 37,000 students and centrally located between San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the Napa Valley. The No. 5-ranked public university in the nation, according to the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education, offers nearly 100 graduate programs and more than 100 academic majors across four colleges and six professional schools, ranking among the world and nation's best in numerous disciplines, including veterinary science, agriculture, and plant and animal programs.
AGGIE EVO
Established during the 2017-18 academic year, the Aggie EVO System is UC Davis Athletics' investment in the primary mission of preparing student-athletes for a successful "launch" after graduation. Thanks to a collaboration of alumni, university resources, corporate partners, coaches and Student-Athlete Outcomes staff, all Aggies are guided over four years to acquire the skills, knowledge, opportunities and tools to better know and navigate the "World of Work" after graduating from UC Davis. Follow the Aggie EVO system on Twitter and Instagram at @AggieEVO.
