The UCLA women’s tennis team, ranked 18th nationally, secured a 4-1 victory over No. 24 UCF in the ITA Kickoff Weekend opener held at the LSU Tennis Complex in Baton Rouge on Saturday. Olivia Center clinched the match for UCLA with a three-set win, while two other singles matches were abandoned during their third sets.
Center contributed to both singles and doubles wins for the Bruins, who now hold a 2-0 record this season. Mayu Crossley and Bianca Fernandez also recorded singles victories for UCLA. UCF’s only point came from Jantje Tilbuerger, who defeated Ahmani Guichard.
With this win, UCLA advances to face host and fifth-ranked LSU in Sunday’s championship match at 10 a.m. PT. The winner will qualify for next month’s ITA National Team Indoor Championship event in Evanston and Urbana, Illinois. UCF will play Marshall in the consolation match.
In doubles competition, Ahmani Guichard and Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer gave UCLA an early advantage by defeating Marina Gatell and Daryna Shoshyna 6-2 on Court 2. Center and her partner Kate Fakih then secured the doubles point with a 6-3 win over Tilbuerger and Hannah Rylatt on Court 1.
Bianca Fernandez won her first dual match of the season with a decisive 6-0, 6-2 result against Lauren Seye on Court 5. Crossley followed with a strong performance on Court 2, winning her match against Olivia Bergler by a score of 6-1, 6-1.
Tilbuerger reduced UCF’s deficit by defeating Guichard on Court 4 with scores of 6-4, 7-5. Meanwhile, Fakih and Lutkemeyer forced third sets in their respective matches but did not finish before Center closed out Jade Psonka on Court 6 with scores of 6-1, 2-6, 6-4. This improved Center’s dual record to four wins without loss across singles and doubles this year.
The order of finish was as follows: Doubles (Courts 2 then 1); Singles (Courts 5, then 2, then 4, then Center’s clinching match at Court 6).
Singles results:
1. Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (UCLA) vs. Daryna Shoshyna (UCF) unfinished
2. Mayu Crossley (UCLA) def. Olivia Bergler (UCF)
3. #75 Kate Fakih (UCLA) vs. Marina Gatell (UCF) unfinished
4. Jantje Tilbuerger (UCF) def. Ahmani Guichard (UCLA)
5. Bianca Fernandez (UCLA) def. Lauren Seye (UCF)
6. Olivia Center (UCLA) def. Jade Psonka (UCF)
Doubles results:
1. Olivia Center/Kate Fakih (UCLA) def. Hannah Rylatt/Jantje Tilbuerger (UCF)
2. Ahmani Guichard/Anne-Christine Lutkemeyer (UCLA) def. Marina Gatell/Daryna Shoshyna (UCF)
3. Kayla Chung/Mayu Crossley (UCLA) vs #50 Olivia Bergler/Lauren Seye (UCF), unfinished
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