STANFORD, Calif. – Karla Popovic finally lost a set – two in fact – on Monday at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships presented by Oracle. But the California Golden Bear still won singles and – with Olivia Hauger – doubles semifinals to advance to two finals on Tuesday at the Taube Family Tennis Stadium.
 
The doubles victory was a notable one, as the seventh-seeded but unranked pair of Hauger and Popovic had to face the veteran Cal duo of Maegan Manasse and Denise Starr. The seniors were seeded No. 1 and ranked third; they were also the 2016 NCAA doubles runners-up. But in this matchup, the younger Bears prevailed, 6-1, 5-7, 1-0(8), against their teammates, who albeit were playing in their first tournament of the fall.
 
Popovic and Hauger will take on Stanford's Caroline Lampl and Kimberly Yee in the doubles final at approximately 12:30 p.m. on the Farm.
 
Earlier in the singles semifinals, the fifth-seeded and 90th-ranked Popovic played San Jose State's Sybille Gauvain. The Zabok, Croatia, native lost the second set but rebounded to win in three, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4, to clinch her spot in the final and improve her season singles record to 20-0. Popovic will battle Stanford's ninth-seeded freshman Emma Higuchi in the final at 11 a.m. on Tuesday.
 
The regional's singles and doubles champs earn berths to the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships that run from Nov. 3-6 in Flushing Meadows, New York.
 
ITA Northwest Regional Championships Presented by Oracle – Cal Results
Oct. 24, 2016, in Stanford, Calif.
Taube Family Tennis Stadium
 
Main Draw Singles – Semifinal Round
[5] No. 90 Karla Popovic (Cal) def. Sybille Gauvain (SJSU) – 7-5, 3-6, 6-4
 
Main Draw Doubles – Semifinal Round
[7] Olivia Hauger/Karla Popovic (Cal) def. [1] No. 3 Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr (Cal) – 6-1, 5-7, 1-0(8)