UCLA
USC
Women's Tennis Beats USC in Top-15 Clash
April 20, 2019 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES โ The No. 10 UCLA women's tennis team secured the No. 2 seed in the upcoming Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, Calif. Saturday, defeating No. 15 USC 4-2 at Marks Tennis Stadium.
Abi Altick posted her team-high fifth match-clinching victory of the season, holding off the Trojans' Danielle Willson with identical 7-6(4) showings. Elysia Bolton and Gabby Andrews also posted singles wins for the Bruins (16-6, 8-2), who picked up the doubles point to start the day. USC (17-6, 7-3) got wins from Angela Kulikov and Rianna Valdes.
UCLA got the rare three-win day in doubles action, as the final court was mid rally when the point was clinched. Eighth-ranked Gabby Andrews and Ayan Broomfield made quick work of Becca Weissmann and Danielle Willson, taking six of seven games on Court 2 for the first win of the day.
On the top court, the 12th-ranked tandem of Elysia Bolton and Jada Hart of the Bruins doubled up No. 4 Kulikov-Valdes for its second top-five win of the season. Bolton-Hart has won each of its last nine decisions. Six of those victories have clinched a doubles point. Nearly simultaneously, the 49th-ranked pair of Abi Altick and Alaina Miller notched a 6-2 defeat of 90th-ranked Constance Branstine and Estella Jaeger on Court 3.
Each side picked up three first-set wins in singles play, but Bolton certainly did her part to keep momentum rolling in the direction of the Bruins. Playing against Anna Neffa on Court 2, the freshman cruised to a 6-1, 6-2 victory. The win marked Bolton's sixth straight without dropping a set.
The Trojans quickly got back into it with a pair of wins on the middle courts. No. 113 Kulikov dropped two of the first three games against Broomfield on Court 3 before finishing strong, 6-4, 6-1. On the next court over, Valdes started strong before holding on to claim a second-set tiebreaker and the match 6-4, 7-6(5).
The bottom courts carried UCLA the rest of the way, with Andrews the next to finish on Court 6. The senior ensured her match would not reach a third set, taking care of Branstine 7-5, 6-4. Andrews has won consecutive matches.
The match would be finalized on Court 5, where Altick continued to shine with the pressure on. The Monroe, La. native fought through two tiebreakers for a 7-6(4), 7-6(4) win, capping a long rally with a cross-court shot past an off-balance Willson to seal it.
UCLA will next head to Ojai, Calif. to take part in the Pac-12 Championships. Action from Libbey Park and the Weil Tennis Academy will begin Wednesday, April 24 and run through Saturday, April 27. The Bruins will begin play Thursday, April 25 after earning one of the top five seeds. The bracket will be released and published Tuesday, April 22 to Pac-12.com.
Tennis Match Results
UCLA vs USC
4/20/2019 at Los Angeles, CA
(Los Angeles Tennis Center)
#10 UCLA 4, #15 USC 2
Singles competition
1. Salma Ewing (USC) vs. Jada Hart (UCLA) 6-4, 3-6, 1-5, unfinished
2. Elysia Bolton (UCLA) def. Ana Neffa (USC) 6-1, 6-2
3. Angela Kulikov (USC) def. Ayan Broomfield (UCLA) 6-4, 6-1
4. Rianna Valdes (USC) def. Alaina Miller (UCLA) 6-4, 7-6 (7-5)
5. Abi Altick (UCLA) def. Danielle Willson (USC) 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4)
6. Gabby Andrews (UCLA) def. Constance Branstine (USC) 7-5, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #12 Elysia Bolton/Jada Hart (UCLA) def. #4 Angela Kulikov/Rianna Valdes (USC) 6-3
2. #8 Gabby Andrews/Ayan Broomfield (UCLA) def. Becca Weissmann/Danielle Willson (USC) 6-1
3. #49 Abi Altick/Alaina Miller (UCLA) def. #90 Constance Branstine/Estella Jaeger (USC) 6-2
Match Notes:
UCLA 16-6; National ranking #10
USC 17-6; National ranking #15
Order of finish: Doubles (2,1,3); Singles (2,3,4,6,5)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
2,1,3
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
2,3,4,6,5
Players Mentioned
