University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
Elise Wagle (left) and Tian Fangran
Photo by: Nola Gallagher
Tian, Wagle Among Five Bruins Honored by Pac-12
May 03, 2024 | Women's Tennis
SAN RAMON, Calif. โ The duo of Tian Fangran and Elise Wagle was named Pac-12 Doubles Team of the Year and five members of the UCLA women's tennis team in all were honored as the conference announced its year-end awards Friday.
Eight Bruin doubles teams have earned the league's top honor with the latest selection. Wagle is a repeat winner, as she was also the top vote getter with Kimmi Hance in 2023. Hance and Tian received All-Conference first-team accolades. Bianca Fernandez made the second team. Wagle and Ahmani Guichard were on the honorable-mention list.
The partnership of Tian and Wagle holds a 9-3 record, including an 8-3 mark on the top court. Since March 31, the pair has won five decisions in a row. Three of those results came opposite nationally-ranked foes, with the top showing a 6-3 point-clinching victory against No. 2 Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen of Pepperdine in a 4-3 team triumph (April 11). Tian/Wagle went 5-1 in Pac-12 play, beating No. 18 Eryn Cayetano/Emma Charney of USC (April 19) and No. 52 Connie Ma/Alexandra Yepifanova of Stanford (March 31) among other tandems.
In singles play, Tian is 16-4. She is 9-1 in conference outings, including back-to-back wins versus No. 57 Valentina Ivanov of California (March 30) and No. 26 Angelica Blake of Stanford during a personal 11-decision winning streak. The defending NCAA singles champion enters NCAA Championships play a victor in four consecutive matches โ all in straight sets. Tian has beaten a team-high seven ranked singles players while playing exclusively on Court 1. She also made the first team in 2023.
Hance has knocked off three top-24 singles players during dual-match action, besting No. 13 Connie Ma of Stanford, No. 14 Lisa Zaar of Pepperdine and No. 24 Emma Charney of USC (March 1). The marathon result over Ma sealed a 4-3 road win against the No. 5 Cardinal. Alongside Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, Hance has also had doubles success. The combination is 13-1 and has won eight straight finished matches. Hance/Lutkemeyer outlasted No. 67 Blake/Alexis Blokhina 7-6(6) to secure the doubles point versus Stanford. Hance was All-Conference honorable mention in 2022 and a second-team member in 2023.
Each of Fernandez's first four singles wins in tournament play was against a nationally-ranked player. Her own ranking rose to a season-high No. 65 as a result March 5 and the freshman has remained a fixture on the third singles court. In the Bruins' 5-2 non-conference victory against No. 8 USC, Fernandez downed No. 43 Grace Piper 7-6(5), 6-2 (March 1). Fernandez also clinched the March 9 triumph over Washington.
Guichard contributed the deciding point versus Arizona March 16 and the freshman has piled up 17 total singles wins. She prevailed in pivotal late-season road victories against Pepperdine and USC (April 19). Guichard has also registered a 22-6 doubles record, including a 14-5 mark in dual matches. She teamed with Sasha Vagramov to take down No. 29 Parker Fry/Grace Piper of USC in a 7-6(6) performance that clinched the doubles point.
Wagle has a team-high seven match-clinching points, including five in conference play. Her three-set road win versus No. 79 Eryn Cayetano in the teams' regular-season finale sealed the Pac-12 regular-season championship for UCLA (April 19). Wagle also went the distance to beat No. 94 Anna Campana of Pepperdine in the final match of a thrilling 4-3 road victory against the No. 7 Waves. Wagle also made the honorable-mention cut in 2023.
Eight Bruin doubles teams have earned the league's top honor with the latest selection. Wagle is a repeat winner, as she was also the top vote getter with Kimmi Hance in 2023. Hance and Tian received All-Conference first-team accolades. Bianca Fernandez made the second team. Wagle and Ahmani Guichard were on the honorable-mention list.
The partnership of Tian and Wagle holds a 9-3 record, including an 8-3 mark on the top court. Since March 31, the pair has won five decisions in a row. Three of those results came opposite nationally-ranked foes, with the top showing a 6-3 point-clinching victory against No. 2 Savannah Broadus and Janice Tjen of Pepperdine in a 4-3 team triumph (April 11). Tian/Wagle went 5-1 in Pac-12 play, beating No. 18 Eryn Cayetano/Emma Charney of USC (April 19) and No. 52 Connie Ma/Alexandra Yepifanova of Stanford (March 31) among other tandems.
In singles play, Tian is 16-4. She is 9-1 in conference outings, including back-to-back wins versus No. 57 Valentina Ivanov of California (March 30) and No. 26 Angelica Blake of Stanford during a personal 11-decision winning streak. The defending NCAA singles champion enters NCAA Championships play a victor in four consecutive matches โ all in straight sets. Tian has beaten a team-high seven ranked singles players while playing exclusively on Court 1. She also made the first team in 2023.
Hance has knocked off three top-24 singles players during dual-match action, besting No. 13 Connie Ma of Stanford, No. 14 Lisa Zaar of Pepperdine and No. 24 Emma Charney of USC (March 1). The marathon result over Ma sealed a 4-3 road win against the No. 5 Cardinal. Alongside Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer, Hance has also had doubles success. The combination is 13-1 and has won eight straight finished matches. Hance/Lutkemeyer outlasted No. 67 Blake/Alexis Blokhina 7-6(6) to secure the doubles point versus Stanford. Hance was All-Conference honorable mention in 2022 and a second-team member in 2023.
Each of Fernandez's first four singles wins in tournament play was against a nationally-ranked player. Her own ranking rose to a season-high No. 65 as a result March 5 and the freshman has remained a fixture on the third singles court. In the Bruins' 5-2 non-conference victory against No. 8 USC, Fernandez downed No. 43 Grace Piper 7-6(5), 6-2 (March 1). Fernandez also clinched the March 9 triumph over Washington.
Guichard contributed the deciding point versus Arizona March 16 and the freshman has piled up 17 total singles wins. She prevailed in pivotal late-season road victories against Pepperdine and USC (April 19). Guichard has also registered a 22-6 doubles record, including a 14-5 mark in dual matches. She teamed with Sasha Vagramov to take down No. 29 Parker Fry/Grace Piper of USC in a 7-6(6) performance that clinched the doubles point.
Wagle has a team-high seven match-clinching points, including five in conference play. Her three-set road win versus No. 79 Eryn Cayetano in the teams' regular-season finale sealed the Pac-12 regular-season championship for UCLA (April 19). Wagle also went the distance to beat No. 94 Anna Campana of Pepperdine in the final match of a thrilling 4-3 road victory against the No. 7 Waves. Wagle also made the honorable-mention cut in 2023.
Players Mentioned
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