BERKELEY – Playing in potentially the last singles match of her career at home, senior
Cecilia Estlander defeated Ashanti Campfield, 6-1, 6-0, to clinch third-seeded and third-ranked California's 4-0 win over Bryant in the NCAA Championship first round on Friday at the Hellman Tennis Complex. The Golden Bears (21-3 record) move on to play another team of Bulldogs from No. 33 Mississippi State on Saturday at noon in the second-round.
Mississippi State (16-11) beat 30th-ranked Houston, 4-2, in the earlier first-round match at Hellman.
Today's match was Cal's first against Bryant (9-8), and the Bears will likewise play Mississippi State for the first time on Saturday.
Cal features two top-10 doubles teams, but it was the Bears' unranked duo of junior Lynn Chi and freshman Karla Popovic that drew first blood against Bryant, beating Briana Leonard and Linnea Sjoberg, 8-1, on court three (Mascarin Court). The sophomore pair of Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr – ranked seventh – then secured the doubles point with an 8-1 victory over Ryan Brown and Marion Bouillin on court one (Newmark Stadium).
“It was nice to get back out on the courts today,” Cal head coach Amanda Augustus. “Bryant has a very nice team. I thought we played well in the doubles and got off to a quick start.”
That quick pace continued in singles, as Starr – ranked 44th –put Cal ahead 2-0 with a 6-0, 6-0 blanking of Bouillin on court two (Bud Chandler Court). Senior Zsofi Susanyi – ranked 43rd – followed with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Sjoberg on court three, and Cal led 3-0.
Cal junior Klara Fabikova looked to clinch the overall match on court one, as the 18th-ranked Bear led Brown 6-0, 5-0 at one point. But Brown rallied to win four straight games, giving Estlander time to finish off Campfield on court five (Hirschler-Davidson Court) and end the contest.
“Having our seniors put two points on the board yet again (in singles) was good,” Augustus added, “and Lynn and Karla played quite well on court three in doubles today.”
The Bears hosted their Senior Day prior to their last regular-season match – a 5-2 victory over Stanford on April 18. But, depending on Saturday's lineup, Friday's match may have been Estlander's swan song at Hellman.
“It was fun playing.” Estlander said. “Honestly, all I did was have fun. I had that in my mind, that, Okay, this is one of my last home matches, and I just want to make the most out of it and play my best, and that's what I did today.”
NCAA Championship – First Round
[3] No. 3 California (21-3) defeated Bryant (9-8) – 4-0
May 8, 2015, in Berkeley, Calif.
Hellman Tennis Complex
Doubles
1. No. 7 Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr (Cal) def. Ryan Brown/Marion Bouillin (Bryant) – 8-1
2. No. 5 Klara Fabikova/Zsofi Susanyi (Cal) vs. Ashanti Campfield/Rosie Bird (Bryant) – 5-1 Abandoned
3. Lynn Chi/Karla Popovic (Cal) def. Briana Leonard/Linnea Sjoberg (Bryant) – 8-1
Cal wins the doubles point
Order – 3, 1*
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles
1. No. 18 Klara Fabikova (Cal) vs. Ryan Brown (Bryant) – 6-0, 5-4 Abandoned
2. No. 44 Denise Starr (Cal) def. Marion Bouillin (Bryant) – 6-0, 6-0
3. No. 43 Zsofi Susanyi (Cal) def. Linnea Sjoberg (Bryant) – 6-1, 6-1
4. No. 103 Karla Popovic (Cal) vs. Briana Leonard (Bryant) – 6-2, 4-1 Abandoned
5. Cecilia Estlander (Cal) def. Ashanti Campfield (Bryant) – 6-1, 6-0
6. Stephane Lin (Cal) vs. Rosie Bird (Bryant) – 5-3 Abandoned
Order – 2, 3, 5^
^Clinched the overall match
No. 33 Mississippi State (16-11) defeated No. 30 Houston (22-6) – 4-2
Doubles
1. No. 51 Georgiana Patrasc/Martina Frantova (MSU) def. Elena Kordolaimi/Despoina Vogasari (UH) – 8-1
2. Rocio Martin/Tina Rupert (UH) vs. Jasmine Lee/Naomi Tran (MSU) – 5-2 Abandoned
3. Louise Ronaldson/Timea Guibe (MSU) def. Angela Lorenzo/Mina Markovic (UH) – 8-2
Mississippi State wins the doubles point
Order – 1, 3*
*Clinched the doubles point
Singles
1. No. 77 Despoina Vogasari (UH) def. No. 23 Jasmine Lee (MSU) - 6-4, 6-2
2. No. 105 Elena Kordolaimi (UH) def. No. 107 Georgiana Patrasc (MSU) – 6-2, 6-1
3. Martina Frantova (MSU) def. Tina Rupert (UH) – 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
4. Rocio Martin (UH) vs. Louise Ronaldson (MSU) – 4-6, 6-4, 1-0 Abandoned
5. Jennifer Brown (MSU) def. Mina Markovic (UH) – 6-4, 6-2
6. Timea Guibe (MSU) def. Angela Lorenzo (UH) – 6-4, 1-6, 6-3
Order – 1, 2, 5, 3, 6^
^Clinched the overall match
