SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women’s tennis earned its first top 30-ranked win of the season on Saturday, overcoming a 3-1 deficit to take down No. 30 UCLA in a 4-3 thriller at the Aztec Tennis Center.
The Bruins took an early advantage, capturing the doubles point with wins on courts two and three. Gloria Alogo and Zoe Olmos fell 6-2 to Bianca Fernandez and Kimmi Hance on court three and Jo-Yee Chan and Ninon Martinache were bested 6-3 by the 59th-ranked duo, Ahmani Guichard and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, on the second court. The court one matchup was left unfinished. Yasmine Kabbaj and Liisa Varul were within striking distance of Olivia Center and Kate Fakih, who rank fourth nationally. The Bruins led 5-4 when the doubles point was secured.
After falling behind 1-0, Varul was able to even the score with the first singles win of the day. On court six, the freshman cruised to a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Olivia Center.
The Bruins jumped out to a 3-1 lead, taking courts one and three. In the top spot, Kabbaj came up short in a three-set contest against 28th-ranked singles player Lutkemeyer by a score of 6-3, 2-6, 6-2. Alogo was bested on court three, falling to 42nd-ranked Fakih 6-4, 6-3.
Coming down to the final three courts, the Aztecs were able to pull off a massive rally in three sets on courts two, four and five.
Martinache inched the Scarlet and Black closer, winning court four over Fernandez. After commanding the first set 6-1, the junior dropped the second set 6-0, but found the momentum to take the third set 6-4.
Chan captured another must-win for San Diego State, taking down Hance in the second spot, 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4.
The match came down to Olmos and Guichard on court five. The Aztec took the first set 6-4, but came up short 6-3 to Guichard in the second. It was a tiebreaker that decided the outcome. Olmos clinched the victory for the Scarlet and Black with a 7-6 (7-3) win in the third set.
The Aztecs move to 6-4 (0-0 Mountain West) and next face San Diego at the Aztec Tennis Center on March 7, beginning at 4 p.m.
Doubles
1. #4 Olivia Center/Kate Fakih (UCLA) vs. Yasmine Kabbaj/Liisa Varul (SDSU) DNF 5-4
2. #59 Ahmani Guichard/Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (UCLA) def. Jo-Yee Chan/Ninon Martinache (SDSU) 6-3
3. Bianca Fernandez/Kimmi Hance (UCLA) def. Gloria Alogo/Zoe Olmos (SDSU) 6-2
Singles
1. #28 Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (UCLA) def. Yasmine Kabbaj (SDSU) 6-3, 2-6, 6-2
2. Jo-Yee Chan (SDSU) def. Kimmi Hance (UCLA) 6-2, 6-7 (6-8), 6-4
3. #42 Kate Fakih (UCLA) def. Gloria Alogo (SDSU) 6-4, 6-3
4. Ninon Martinache (SDSU) def. Bianca Fernandez (UCLA) 6-1, 0-6, 6-4
5. Zoe Olmos (SDSU) def. Ahmani Guichard (UCLA) 6-4, 3-6, 7-6 (7-3)
6. Liisa Varul (SDSU) def. Olivia Center (UCLA) 6-2, 6-2
Order of finish: Doubles (3,2); Singles (6,3,1,4,2,5)