STANFORD, Calif. – Playing in just their first tournament together, Klara Fabikova and Olivia Hauger continued their run in the USTA/ITA Northwest Regional Championships when they won twice on Sunday to reach Monday's semifinal round at Stanford's Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
The Bears are attempting to qualify for the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships and join junior Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr in doubles in Flushing Meadows, New York. Manasse has also qualified for national indoors in singles.
In the second match of their new partnership, Fabikova, a senior, and Hauger, a freshman, held off San Jose State's Marie Klocker and Miyo Kobayashi, 8-7(3), in Sunday's round of 16. Later the Bears knocked off Gonzaga's Samantha Polayes and Sophia Whittle, 8-1, in the regional quarterfinals.
Hauger and Fabikova will face another senior/freshman duo in the semi in Stanford veteran Krista Hardebeck and newcomer Caroline Lampl on Monday no earlier than 11:30 a.m, after the singles semifinals end.
“Klara is very experienced,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. “She's doing a good job of leading the team and helping Olivia transition successfully to doubles in college tennis, which is different than doubles in juniors tennis. They're looking forward to their semifinal tomorrow against Stanford.”
Two of the three Cal losses in the singles main draw were upsets. Fabikova, the tournament's second seed who's also ranked 16th, lost to Fresno State's ninth-seeded and 104th-ranked Maiar Sherif Ahmed, 6-2, 7-6(7). Fourth-seeded and 33rd-ranked junior Denise Starr lost to Washington's Tami Grende, 7-6(7), 6-2.
Facing the top seed, sixth-seeded and 64th-ranked sophomore Karla Popovic fell to Stanford's top-seeded and 15th-ranked Taylor Davidson, 6-4, 6-4.
In consolation doubles on Sunday, the Washington pair of Grende and Kenadi Hance beat Popovic and sophomore Lyann Hoang, 8-3.
MACON, Georgia – Cal junior Maegan Manasse won in the opening round of singles qualifying on Sunday at the Tennis Classic of Macon, a USTA Pro Circuit 50K tournament. The Golden Bear beat former Mississippi star and current pro Julia Jones, 7-6(5), 2-6, 6-2, in the round of 32.
On Monday at 10 a.m. ET, Manasse takes on fourth-seeded Nadia Podoroska of Argentina at the Leroy Peddy Tennis Center at Mercer University in the round of 16.
Cal Results at the USTA/ITA Northwest Regional Championships
Oct. 25, 2015, in Stanford, Calif.
Taube Family Tennis Stadium
Singles Main Draw – Quarterfinal Round
[9] No. 104 Maiar Sherif Ahmed (Fresno State) def. [2] No. 16 Klara Fabikova (Cal) – 6-2, 7-6(7)
Tami Grende (Washington) def. [4] No. 33 Denise Starr (Cal) – 7-6(7), 6-2
[1] No. 15 Taylor Davidson (Stanford) def. [6] No. 64 Karla Popovic (Cal) – 6-4, 6-4
Doubles Main Draw – Round of 16
Klara Fabikova/Olivia Hauger (Cal) def. Marie Klocker/Miyo Kobayashi (SJSU) – 8-7(3)
Doubles Main Draw – Quarterfinal Round
Klara Fabikova/Olivia Hauger (Cal) def. Samantha Polayes/Sophia Whittle (Gonzaga) – 8-1
Consolation Singles
Olivia Hauger (Cal) def. Melissa Lord (Stanford) – 2-6, 6-2, 1-0(10)
Vanessa Nommensen (Saint Mary's) def. Lyann Hoang (Cal) – 6-1, 6-3
Barbora Michalkova (Wash. St.) def. Stephane Lin (Cal) – 6-4, 7-5
Consolation Doubles
Tami Grende/Kenadi Hance (Washington) def. Lyann Hoang/Karla Popovic (Cal) – 8-3
