UCLA
USC
No. 19 Women's Tennis Celebrates Seniors, Beats USC 4-3
April 21, 2023 | Women's Tennis
LOS ANGELES โ On a day that saw the UCLA women's tennis program honor two seniors before its regular-season finale, it was a sophomore who provided the heroics in a 4-3 victory against USC Friday afternoon at Los Angeles Tennis Center. The No. 19 Bruins closed the regular season on a four-match winning streak and prevailed in seven of their final eight.
Kimmi Hance was the last player standing as UCLA (13-6, 6-4 Pac-12) pushed past its crosstown rival in Pac-12 action. Also triumphant in singles play for the Bruins were Fangran Tian and Elise Wagle. All three had two-win days as UCLA also pocketed the doubles point. The Trojans (15-8, 6-4) made up a 3-1 deficit when Sloane Morra and Grace Piper followed Emma Charney's early victory, but they would never take the lead.
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โ UCLA Women's Tennis (@uclawtennis) April 21, 2023
Tian and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer stayed undefeated as a doubles pair, dispatching of McKenna Koenig and Isabelle Lee in a 6-2 decision on Court 3. The freshman combination improved to 8-0 since taking the court together for the first time March 26. Then, the sixth-ranked tandem of Hance and Wagle picked up its ninth-win in 11 tries versus nationally-ranked opponent, defeating No. 39 Naomi Cheong and Snow Han 6-3 for the initial point. Hance and Wagle have clinched the doubles points seven times this season.
USC answered on the singles courts, taking four first sets. Charney pulled the visitors level on Court 3, where she beat Catanzarite 6-0, 6-2. The Bruins' counterpunch came from Wagle, who landed a 6-3, 6-2 victory against Cheong on Court 4. Wagle closed the regular season on a three-match winning streak.
Freshman Tian completed an unbeaten regular season, beating No. 8 Sieg for the second time on the year. No. 17 Tian's 6-4, 6-3 result improved her dual-match singles record to 15-0. Seven of her wins during that stretch have come opposite nationally-ranked foes.
Sloane Morra cut the Trojans' deficit in half when she bested Lutkemeyer 6-3, 6-4 on Court 6. Piper then overcame Sasha Vagramov 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 on Court 5, shifting all eyes to Court 2.
No. 106 Hance broke the serve of Han at 4-4 before closing the deciding victory and setting off a celebration with her teammates. Hance's third win in a row also represents the third 4-3 win of the season for UCLA.
The Bruins honored seniors Vagramov and Caroline Goldberg before the match.
UCLA now turns its attention to Ojai, Calif., site of the annual Pac-12 Championships. Play-in matches are scheduled for Wednesday, April 26. The tournament continues through Saturday, April 29.
Tennis Match Results
USC vs UCLA
4/21/2023 at Los Angeles, CA
(Los Angeles Tennis Center)
#19 UCLA 4, #26 USC 3
Singles competition
1. #17 Fangran Tian (UCLA) def. #8 Madison Sieg (USC) 6-4, 6-3
2. #106 Kimmi Hance (UCLA) def. Snow Han (USC) 2-6, 6-3, 6-4
3. Emma Charney (USC) def. Ava Catanzarite (UCLA) 6-0, 6-2
4. Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. Naomi Cheong (USC) 6-3, 6-2
5. Grace Piper (USC) def. Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) 6-4, 0-6, 6-2
6. Sloane Morra (USC) def. A. Lutkemeyer (UCLA) 6-3, 6-4
Doubles competition
1. #6 Kimmi Hance/Elise Wagle (UCLA) def. #39 Naomi Cheong/Snow Han (USC) 6-3
2. Ava Catanzarite/Sasha Vagramov (UCLA) vs. Emma Charney/Nathalie Rodilosso (USC) 5-4, unfinished
3. A. Lutkemeyer/Fangran Tian (UCLA) def. McKenna Koenig/Isabelle Lee (USC) 6-2
Match Notes:
USC 15-8; National ranking #26
UCLA 13-6; National ranking #19
Order of finish: Doubles (3,1); Singles (3,4,1,6,5,2)
Team Stats
#1 Doubles Match
#2 Doubles Match
#3 Doubles Match
Order of Finish:
3,1
#1 Singles Match
#2 Singles Match
#3 Singles Match
#4 Singles Match
#5 Singles Match
#6 Singles Match
Order of Finish:
3,4,1,6,5,2
Players Mentioned
