Kate Fakih (Photo: ITA)
Fakih Named Big Ten Player of the Week for Second Time
October 23, 2024 | Women's Tennis
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Freshman Kate Fakih of the UCLA women's tennis team earned the second Big Ten Player of the Week award of her young career Wednesday after registering a standout performance at the ITA Southwest Regional Championships in San Diego.
Fakih and fellow first-year standout Olivia Center teamed to post a runner-up finish in doubles play, beating three nationally-ranked pairs in the process. A second-round win against No. 41 Patricija Spaka/Sara Svetac of Arizona State set up a showdown with crosstown rivals Lily Fairclough and Grace Piper of USC, who form the nation's No. 20 tandem and the tournament's top seed. Fakih and Center went on to prevail 8-3 and followed that effort by holding off No. 60 Claudia De Las Hera/Kailey Evans of San Diego 6-7(7), 6-3, 1-0(8) in the semifinals.
On the singles side, Fakih turned in straight-set decisions over Isabella Tcherkes-Zade of LMU, Midori Castillo-Meza of Arizona and Liam Oved of Pepperdine before falling in a three-set quarterfinal-round showdown with Evans. Fakih leads the Bruins with eight singles victories.
Fakih was previously named Big Ten Player of the Week Sept. 25, as she was in the midst of a run at the ITA All-American Championships โ her first collegiate event.
Fakih and fellow first-year standout Olivia Center teamed to post a runner-up finish in doubles play, beating three nationally-ranked pairs in the process. A second-round win against No. 41 Patricija Spaka/Sara Svetac of Arizona State set up a showdown with crosstown rivals Lily Fairclough and Grace Piper of USC, who form the nation's No. 20 tandem and the tournament's top seed. Fakih and Center went on to prevail 8-3 and followed that effort by holding off No. 60 Claudia De Las Hera/Kailey Evans of San Diego 6-7(7), 6-3, 1-0(8) in the semifinals.
On the singles side, Fakih turned in straight-set decisions over Isabella Tcherkes-Zade of LMU, Midori Castillo-Meza of Arizona and Liam Oved of Pepperdine before falling in a three-set quarterfinal-round showdown with Evans. Fakih leads the Bruins with eight singles victories.
Fakih was previously named Big Ten Player of the Week Sept. 25, as she was in the midst of a run at the ITA All-American Championships โ her first collegiate event.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Tennis
/ Women's Tennis
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