LAS VEGAS – The final day of competition at the Freeman Memorial Championships could not have one much better for the UCLA women's tennis team, as Bruins collected the singles and doubles titles Sunday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
The No. 7 and top-seeded duo of Jada Hart and Ena Shibahara started its day in the doubles semifinal, facing host UNLV's team of En-Pei Huang and Aiwen Zhu in a morning match. The Bruins proved destined for the final, rolling to a 6-2 victory and a final-round matchup with No. 20 and third-seeded Oklahoma State Cowgirls Vladica Babic and Sofia Blanco.
The Bruins barely got by Oklahoma State's pair of Marina Guinart and Katarina Stresnakova in the tournament's second round and the final proved to be another fight. The Bruins once again proved too much, though, dispatching Babic and Blanco by a 6-4 score.
The day was not over for the Bruins, though, as Hart and Shibahara had a singles championship to decide. One day after defeating Abi Altick, No. 16 Shibahara had another teammate to overcome. No. 119 Hart had already two higher-ranked opponents, but would not be able to take down a third. Shibahara cruised to a first-set win, but Hart would nearly push her doubles mate to a third. Needing a tiebreak, Shibahara would narrowly claim the title in straight sets, 6-2, 7-6 (4).
The final was the second of the 2017-18 campaign for Shibahara, who fell to Alle Sanford of North Carolina in a tight, three-set finish at Oracle ITA Masters in September. Hart and Shibahara picked up a consolation title at the Riviera/ITA All-American Championships in October and Hart joined Gabby Andrews to lift the doubles trophy at the ITA Regional Championships later than month.
The Bruins will open the dual-match portion of their schedule Friday, Jan. 19, when they welcome UC Santa Barbara to Los Angeles Tennis Center.