WACO, Texas – The UCLA women's tennis all-freshman combination of Olivia Center and Kate Fakih advanced to the NCAA Championships doubles quarterfinals Thursday at Hurd Tennis Center, earning All-America status in the process.
Center and Fakih needed a comeback to defeat Alina Mukhortova and Maria Sholokhova of Wisconsin, besting their Big Ten Conference mates by a 2-6, 7-5, 1-0(6) margin. The No. 5-8 seed Bruins fended off one match point, overcoming a 4-5 second-set deficit and deuce point. They would break again for 7-5 and rode momentum to a 3-1 lead in the 10-point tiebreaker. Mukhortova and Sholokhova pulled level at 4-4, but Center and Fakih ultimately seized the final three points.
Center and Fakih next face NC State's Gabriella Broadfoot and Maddy Zampardo. The second-seeded Wolfpack duo beat Tulsa's Maria Berlanga and Lily Hutchings in three sets Thursday. Friday's quarterfinal is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. PT.
The top-seeded and 15th-ranked pair of Bruins Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle was stopped in the second round, as Alicia Dudeney and Rachel Gailis of Florida prevailed 6-4, 6-3.
Center and Fakih needed a comeback to defeat Alina Mukhortova and Maria Sholokhova of Wisconsin, besting their Big Ten Conference mates by a 2-6, 7-5, 1-0(6) margin. The No. 5-8 seed Bruins fended off one match point, overcoming a 4-5 second-set deficit and deuce point. They would break again for 7-5 and rode momentum to a 3-1 lead in the 10-point tiebreaker. Mukhortova and Sholokhova pulled level at 4-4, but Center and Fakih ultimately seized the final three points.
Center and Fakih next face NC State's Gabriella Broadfoot and Maddy Zampardo. The second-seeded Wolfpack duo beat Tulsa's Maria Berlanga and Lily Hutchings in three sets Thursday. Friday's quarterfinal is scheduled to begin at 12:30 p.m. PT.
The top-seeded and 15th-ranked pair of Bruins Kimmi Hance and Elise Wagle was stopped in the second round, as Alicia Dudeney and Rachel Gailis of Florida prevailed 6-4, 6-3.