College Tennis News - No. 7 Cal Tops No. 6 USC Women In Berkeley

BERKELEY, CALIF. -- The No. 6 USC women's tennis team was upended by No. 7 host Cal in the teams' second meeting of the year today. The Women of Troy grabbed the doubles point, but the Bears were stronger in singles with USC's #1 Sabrina Santamaria and #23 Zoë Scandalis out of the lineup with injuries. USC goes to 8-2 with this loss to the Golden Bears in Berkeley.

Santamaria teamed up with teammate Kaitlyn Christian in doubles play as the nation's top-ranked double pair took down Cal's #27 Chi/Schutting on court one to secure the doubles point for the Women of Troy. A minor injury suffered during doubles play kept Santamaria from lining up for singles action. Cal's top gun Zsofi Susanyi -- tied at #1 in the nation with Santamaria -- also was out of the lineup for singles after an injury taken during Cal's match with UCLA yesterday. Susanyi did play doubles today, however, teaming with Klara Fabikova and taking an 8-6 loss to USC's Lao/Pulido on court two. The Trojans had opened the day on a winning note with DeSimone/Olmos' 8-2 win on court three to start the Trojan sweep of doubles play on the day.

In singles, however, Cal grabbed a straight-set win to even the score on #66 Lynn Chi's 6-4, 6-0 win over USC's #81 Giuliana Olmos, who was playing at the No. 2 singles spot for the first time in her career. The Bears' Alice Duranteau was able to stake a three-set comeback win on court six over USC's Valeria Pulido next, and Cal had a 2-1 lead on the visiting Trojans.

USC freshman Ellie Yates then tacked up what would stand as the Trojans' only singles win of the day when she topped Kelly Chui 6-3, 7-5 at the No. 5 spot to pull USC even 2-2. Three-set matches would be the story the rest of the way. #113 Klara Fabikova edged out USC's #60 Gabriella DeSimone in a tense one on court three to lift the Bears up 3-2 next. The clincher for Cal would come from the No. 4 spot, where Tayler Davis fought back against Kaitlyn Christian for a 5-7, 7-5, 6-1 decision that registered the win for the Bears. The last match going was on court one, where USC's #3 senior Danielle Lao had forced a third set against #12 Anett Schutting. Schutting would get the advantage in the third set, however, and finished off a 6-2, 3-6, 6-3 decision over Lao to snap an eight-match win streak held by Lao and wrap up the match as a 5-2 Cal victory.

USC will next take a trip to San Diego next week for a 1:30 clash with the Toreros on March 1.

#7 Cal 5, #6 USC 2
Feb. 23, 2013 - Berkeley, Calif.
DOUBLES
(1) #1 Christian/Santamaria (USC) def. #27 Chi/Schutting (Cal) - 8-5
(2) #48 Lao/Pulido (USC) def. #31 Fabikova/ Susanyi (Cal) - 8-6
(3) DeSimone/Olmos (USC) def. Davis/Posylkin (Cal) - 8-2
USC wins doubles point.
Order of finish: 3, 1, 2
SINGLES
(1) #12 Anett Schutting (Cal) def. #3 Danielle Lao (USC) - 6-2, 2-6, 6-3
(2) #66 Lynn Chi (Cal) def. #81 Giuliana Olmos (USC) - 6-4, 6-0
(3) #113 Klara Fabikova (Cal) def. #60 Gabriella DeSimone (USC) - 6-2, 3-6, 7-5
(4) Tayler Davis (Cal) def. Kaitlyn Christian (USC) - 5-7, 7-5, 6-1*
(5) Ellie Yates (USC) def. Kelly Chui (Cal) - 6-3, 7-5
(6) Alice Duranteau (Cal) def. Valeria Pulido (USC) - 2-6, 6-3, 6-0
Order of finish: 2, 6, 5, 3, 4*, 1