DAVIS, Calif. — In the second consecutive 4-3 result of the season, the Aggies fell to the Broncos, with junior Sara Tsukamoto completing an epic comeback to win the final singles match of the day.
The Aggies opened with a clean sweep at No. 2 doubles, where Kristina Breisacher and Shirley Hall recorded their fifth win together in a perfect 6-0 over Caitlyn Frankel and Elvena Gevargiz. Santa Clara evened the doubles with a 6-3 win at No. 3, setting up a deciding doubles match on the top court. Maddie Pothoff and Katya Tabachnik preserved their undefeated record, clinching the doubles point 6-4 over Lauren Ko and Tsukamoto.
Transitioning into singles play, the Aggies buckled in for a long battle, with Breisacher being the first off the court to be the only Aggie to win both matches. Breisacher dispatched Madison Clarke 6-4, 6-1 to even the overall score at 1-1, but it would be the only match the Aggies would win before Santa Clara secured the four points necessary, as Kristina Evloeva split sets on court six, and retired due to injury to give the Broncos the 4-1 official win.
At the clinch, the remaining two matches on court were heading to a third and final set, where Ko outlasted Tabachnik in a 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 victory for her fifth dual win of the year, setting Tsukamoto up to be the last one on.
Facing Pothoff — who has been a consistent name in the ITA national rankings, reaching as high as No. 86 last season — Tsukamoto won a decisive second set to force a third, and found herself in a hole, down 1-5. Not holding back, Tsukamoto toughed her way to 3-5, and saved a match point at deuce to hold serve, bringing the match to 4-5. In a wild finish, Tsukamoto completed an epic comeback, dropping the first set en route to a 2-6, 6-1, 7-5 victory, winning six straight games to highlight the day.
UC Davis will resume play on the road, next facing current No. 1 and defending national champion Stanford on Friday, February 14, at 3 PM.
Santa Clara 4, UC Davis 3
February 8, 2020
Davis, Calif.
Doubles
1. Maddie Pothoff/Katya Tabachnik (SCU) def. Lauren Ko/Sara Tsukamoto (UCD) 6-4
2. Kristina Breisacher/Shirley Hall (UCD) def. Caitlyn Frankel/Elvena Gevargiz (SCU) 6-0
3. Madison Clarke/Jamie Schroer (SCU) def. Yana Gurevich/Kristina Evloeva (UCD) 6-3
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 1*
Singles
1. Sara Tsukamoto (UCD) def. Maddie Pothoff (SCU) 2-6, 6-1, 7-5
2. Kristina Breisacher (UCD) def. Madison Clarke (SCU) 6-4, 6-1
3. Elvena Gevargiz (SCU) def. Shirley Hall (UCD) 6-2, 6-2
4. Jamie Schroer (SCU) def. Yana Gurevich (UCD) 6-4, 6-1
5. Lauren Ko (UCD) def. Katya Tabachnik (SCU) 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
6. Giulia Hayer (SCU) def. Kristina Evloeva (UCD), 3-6, 7-5, ret.
Order of Finish: 2, 3, 4, 6*, 5, 1
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.
MARYA WELCH INITIATIVE
Named after the former physical education instructor, coach and Dean of Women who founded women's sports on the campus 25 years before the passage of Title IX, the Marya Welch Initiative for Women's Athletics provides comprehensive support for UC Davis' 16 athletics programs.
Through the support of the Marya Welch Initiative and its group members, student-athletes are provided the best possible opportunity to succeed inside the classroom, and in competition, through special project gifts and by increasing visibility and participation at women's events throughout the year.
All gifts to the Marya Welch Initiative are matched 1:1, doubling the impact on our women's programs.
To learn more about projects the Marya Welch Initiative is currently funding, like the Marya Welch Initiative on Facebook. Join this groundbreaking program by clicking here, contacting Assistant AD for Leadership Giving and Alumni Engagement Liz Martin at (530) 752-7326 or emartin@ucdavis.edu.
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.
