NASSAU, Bahamas – The UCLA women's tennis team won eight of nine matches played Friday, the first day of action at the Pink Flamingo Invitational. The Racquet Club at Baha Mar is hosting the three-day event, which also features players from the University of Florida, the University of Miami and the University of Texas.
The first wave of matches featured doubles play between UCLA and Miami, as well as Florida and Texas. As those contests were completed, singles play pitting UCLA vs. Florida and Miami vs. Texas began.
Second-ranked Elysia Bolton and Jada Hart, doubles titleholders at the Oracle ITA Fall National Championships in November, doubled up Daevenia Achong and Estela Perez-Somarriba of Miami on the top court, 6-3, in their first action of 2020. Abi Altick and Taylor Johnson were also impressive on Court 2, where they dispatched of Selma Cadar and Maya Tahan by a 6-2 score. Finally, newcomers Annette Goulak and Sasha Vagramov completed the sweep of the Hurricanes, surrendering just one game to Nada Dimovska and Yuna Ito on Court 3.
In a top-40 singles matchup on Court 1, No. 14 Bolton defeated No. 37 McCartney Kessler of Florida, 6-2, 6-4. Ninth-ranked Hart also took care of her ranked counterpart, dropping No. 96 Victoria Emma in a 7-5, 6-3 decision.
Goulak's singles success continued from the fall, as the Georgia transfer topped Ida Jarlskog on Court 3, 6-4, 6-4. Vagramov suffered the only UCLA loss of the day, as Tsveta Dimitrova posted mirror-image 6-3 sets on Court 5. Vagramov was picked up by Johnson on Court 6, though, where the sophomore fended off Sydney Berlin for a 7-6 (4), 6-2 victory that ensured a Bruin advantage in the final tally.
For good measure, Altick dominated a third-set tiebreaker against Marlee Zein to secure a 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (2) win and wrap up the day.
The Bruins will return to action Saturday morning, when they take on Florida in doubles and Texas in singles. Matches begin at 9 a.m., EST.
Miami vs. UCLA
Doubles competition
1. #2 Elysia Bolton/Jada Hart (UCLA) def. Daevenia Achong/Estela Perez-Somarriba (MIA) 6-3
2. Abi Altick/Taylor Johnson (UCLA) def. Selma Cadar/Maya Tahan (MIA) 6-2
3. Annette Goulak/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) def. Nada Dimovska/Yuna Ito (MIA) 6-1
Florida vs. UCLA
Singles competition
1. #14 Elysia Bolton (UCLA) def. #37 McCartney Kessler (FLA) 6-2, 6-4
2. #9 Jada Hart (UCLA) def. #96 Victoria Emma (FLA) 7-5, 6-3
3. #99 Annette Goulak (UCLA) def. Ida Jarlskog (FLA) 6-4, 6-4
4. Abi Altick (UCLA) def. Marlee Zein (FLA) 7-5, 3-6, 1-0 (10-2)
5. Tsveta Dimitrova (FLA) def. #108 Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 6-3, 6-3
6. Taylor Johnson (UCLA) def. Sydney Berlin (FLA) 7-6 (7-4), 6-2