FLUSHING MEADOWS, N.Y. – Karla Popovic won in three sets to continue her excellent fall season and Maegan Manasse posted a straight-set victory in main draw singles as the Golden Bears opened the USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships on Thursday at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center.
 
Two sets of Cal pairs lost in main draw doubles and will enter the consolation bracket on Friday.
 
"It was a great first day," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "We got off to a really good start in singles. We had some good, solid wins. Karla was able to come from behind and win her singles match, which was exciting. We're looking forward to having everyone competing again tomorrow and playing one match at a time."
 
In the singles round of 32, the 90th-ranked Popovic upset South Carolina's 55th-ranked Ingrid Gamarra Martins, 4-6, 7-5, 6-2. The seventh-ranked Manasse, playing in her second tournament of the fall, beat Michigan's 41st-ranked Kate Fahey, 6-1, 6-4.
 
"Today was a good day," Manasse said. "I was super excited and brought a lot of energy today. I stayed really patient. I was really excited to be back out there."
 
Manasse and fellow Cal senior Denise Starr – the 2016 NCAA doubles runners-up – are ranked third and, at national indoors, are seeded third. But after a round of 32 bye, the Bears lost in an upset to Alabama's 34th-ranked Andie Daniell and Erin Routliffe, 7-5, 6-4, in the round of 16.
 
After their own first-round bye, Popovic, a junior, and sophomore Olivia Hauger took on Syracuse's 12th-ranked Gabriela Knutson and Valeria Salazar in the round of 16. The Bears, who qualified for national indoors by winning the title at the ITA Northwest Regional Championships presented by Oracle, lost to the Syracuse pair, 6-3, 6-3.
 
On Friday in the second-round doubles consolation quarterfinals, Popovic and Hauger will play Duke's Ellyse Hamlin and Samantha Harris at 3:30 p.m. ET, while Starr and Manasse will face Star Makarome and Alexandra Solovyev of host Columbia at 4:45 p.m. ET.
 
In the main draw singles round of 16 on Friday, Popovic will battle Ohio State's top-seeded and third-ranked Francesca Di Lorenzo at 9 a.m. ET, while Manasse will play North Carolina's fourth-seeded and top-ranked Hayley Carter also at 9 a.m. ET.
 
USTA/ITA National Indoor Intercollegiate Championships
Nov. 3 in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.
USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center
 
Main Draw Singles
 
Round of 32
No. 7 Maegan Manasse (Cal) def. No. 41 Kate Fahey (Michigan) – 6-1, 6-4
No. 90 Karla Popovic (Cal) def. No. 55 Ingrid Gamarra Martins (South Carolina) – 4-6, 7-5, 6-2
 
Main Draw Doubles
 
Round of 32
Olivia Hauger/Karla Popovic (Cal) – Bye
[3] No. 3 Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr (Cal) – Bye
 
Round of 16
No. 12 Gabriela Knutson/Valeria Salazar (Syracuse) def. Olivia Hauger/Karla Popovic (Cal) – 6-3, 6-3
No. 34 Andie Daniell/Erin Routliffe (Alabama) def. [3] No. 3 Maegan Manasse/Denise Starr (Cal) – 7-5, 6-4