Cougars open season with 7-0 victory

PULLMAN – Washington State University tennis opened its 2025 dual-match season with a 7-0 victory over UC Davis on Saturday at the Simmelink Tennis Courts at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. The win marked the fourth straight season WSU opened with a victory.

The day began with doubles where WSU's No. 1 duo of Eva Alvarez Sande and Maxine Murphy went back and forth early on with Mika Ikemori and Isabella Bringas but found their groove late as they won the final three games to close out a 6-3 victory. WSU clinched the opening point on Court 2, where Hania Abouelsaad and Martina Markov never trailed in a 6-4 win over Solia Valentine and Polina Marakhtanova. On Court 3, WSU's freshman duo of Chisato Kanemaki and Martina Puvill were in a close battle throughout the match against Claire Galerkin and Kaia Wolfe before the UC Davis pair held off a few match points en route to a 7-6 (9-7) win.

In singles action, Alvarez Sande wasted little time in extending the Cougar lead as she won the first five games against Ikemori as she cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 1. Puvill picked up her first dual-match win as a Coug, pulling away after a close for set for a 6-4, 6-2 win over Marakhtanova at No. 4.

Abouelsaad clinched the match for WSU as she held on for a 6-1, 7-6 (4) win over Maya Youssef at No. 3. Murphy battled throughout her match against Valentine, eventually coming away with a 7-6 (5), 6-3 win at No. 2. At No. 6, another freshman picked up her first dual match win, as Kanemaki rolled through Wolfe, 6-2, 6-1. At No. 5, Markov held on through two tight sets as she emerged with a 6-4, 7-6 (2) win over Bringas.

The Cougars are next in Friday when they host a doubleheader against Idaho and Eastern Washington. The Idaho match begins at 10 a.m. with Eastern Washington set for a 3 p.m. start. Both matches will be at Hollingbery Fieldhouse. 

DOUBLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande/Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Mika Ikemori/Isabella Bringas (UCD) 6-3
No. 2 Hania Abouelsaad/Martina Markov (WSU) def. Solia Valentine/Polina Marakhtanova (UCD) 6-4
No. 3 Clarie Galerkin/Kaia Wolfe (UCD) def. Chisato Kanemaki/Martina Puvill (WSU) 7-6 (9-7)
Order of Finish: 1,2,3

SINGLES
No. 1 Eva Alvarez Sande (WSU) def. Mika Ikemori (UCD) 6-2, 6-1
No. 2 Maxine Murphy (WSU) def. Solia Valentine (UCD) 7-6 (5), 6-3
No. 3 Hania Abouelsaad (WSU) def. Maya Youssef (UCD) 6-1, 7-6 (4)
No. 4 Martina Puvill (WSU) def. Polina Marakhtanova (UCD) 6-4, 6-2
No. 5 Martina Markov (WSU) def. Isabella Bringas (UCD) 6-4, 7-6 (2)
No. 6 Chisato Kanemaki (WSU) def. Kaia Wolfe (UCD) 6-1, 6-2
Order of Finish: 1,4,3,2,5,6