Buffs Comeback Attempt Falls Short At No. 35 Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. – No. 65 Colorado's comeback attempt fell just short against No. 35 Arizona, 4-3, at the LaNelle Robson Tennis Center Friday afternoon.

After nearly four and a half hours, everyone who was in attendance or watched from home could only marvel at the final match of the day. At No. 1 singles, the match between Aya El Sayed and Arizona's (16-8, 7-3) Martyna Ostrzygalo, currently ranked No. 125 in the country, will go down as an all-time classic.

Colorado (10-10, 2-8), after taking the doubles point, found itself trailing 3-1 with only three matches remaining. They got wins from Lera Alexin and Heidi Crncan to tie the match, allowing everyone to focus on the top spot between El Sayed and Ostrzygalo.

"Our team competed their guts out today," head coach Anthony Pham commented. "We toughed out a very close doubles point. Lera and Heidi did a great job finding ways to get it done in their singles matches. Very proud of our group for the way we competed."

Ostrzygalo took the opening set 7-5 and was leading when the match became tied up. El Sayed had to win the second set to give the Buffs a chance to win the overall match. Trailing 6-5 in the second set, she battled back from two straight match points to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, she was always in control, winning 7-6 (1) to force the final set.

With all eyes on them, the third set delivered. Much like the rest of the match, each player took turns stealing the momentum. El Sayed took a 4-2 lead before Ostrzygalo rattled off four straight games to take a 6-5 lead. El Sayed battled back against two different match points to force a third-set tiebreaker.

The final tiebreaker mirrored the rest of the match. El Sayed jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead, but Ostrzygalo rallied to take leads of her own. In the end, after both players had chances to close the match, it was Ostrzygalo who scored the last point, winning 7-6 (8).

"Although Aya came up short, she left it all out on the court today, and as a coach, that's all you can ask of your players," Pham said.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Alexin and Rixt Van der Werff got the Buffs going from the first serve. At No. 1 doubles against Zoya Chulak and Ciara Moore, they controlled the entire match, finishing with a 6-2 victory.

Arizona claimed its first win of the day at No. 3 doubles after Tanvi Narendran and Ostrzygalo defeated Ema Bubalo and Anya Nelson 6-4.

Needing a clinch in the doubles point, El Sayed and Yukiko Ikedo came through in the clutch. With the match against Maria Garcia and Josie Usereau going to a tiebreaker, it took every point to come away with a 7-6 (6) victory and the doubles point to go ahead 1-0 early.

The Wildcats tied it up quickly in singles after Moore defeated Lani Brotman in her first match back from injury 6-2, 6-1.

At No. 2 singles, Arizona's Usereau claimed a 6-0, 6-2 win over Van der Werff to take a 2-1 lead for the Wildcats.

Arizona pushed the lead to 3-1 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory at No. 5 singles from Garcia over Nelson.

With the match hanging in the balance, Crncan steadied the ship at No. 6 singles. After winning the first set 6-2 over Chulak, the second set went to the Wildcats 6-3. In the third set, Crncan finished it off with a 6-2 win, bringing the match score to 3-2.

Minutes later, Alexin added another victory for the Buffs at No. 4 singles. Against Narendran, she controlled both sets, winning 7-5, 6-4 to tie the overall match 3-3.

In what was the match of the day, El Sayed faced across the net from the No. 125-ranked Ostrzygalo at No. 1 singles. After dropping the first set 7-5, El Sayed found herself down 6-5 in the second set, but she took the next game and dominated the tiebreaker to win 7-6 (1) to force a third and final set for the match.

In the final set, both players took their best shot. Each had match points, but in the end Ostrzygalo closed it out in the tiebreaker, 7-6 (8).

UP NEXT

Colorado will return to the courts on Sunday to face off against No. 14 Arizona State at 1 p.m. MT in the final road match of the season.

RESULTS

Doubles

Lera Alexin/Rixt van der Werff (CU) def. Zoya Chulak/Ciara Moore (ARI) 6-2

Aya El Sayed/Yukiko Ikedo (CU) def. Maria Garcia/Josie Usereau (ARI) 7-6 (6)

Tanvi Narendran/Martyna Ostrzygalo (ARI) def. Ema Bubalo/Anya Nelson (CU) 6-4

Order of Finish: (1, 3, 2)

Singles

No. 125 Martyna Ostrzygalo (ARI) def. Aya El Sayed (CU) 7-5, 6-7 (1), 7-6 (8)

Josie Usereau (ARI) def. Rixt van der Werff (CU) 6-0, 6-2

Ciara Moore (ARI) def. Lani Brotman (CU) 6-2, 6-1

Lera Alexin (CU) def. Tanvi Narendran (ARI) 7-5, 6-4

Maria Garcia (ARI) def. Anya Nelson (CU) 6-3, 6-2

Heidi Crncan (CU) def. Zoya Chulak (ARI) 6-2, 3-6, 6-2

Order of Finish: (3, 2, 5, 6, 4, 1*)

NOTES

Lera Alexin and Rixt van der Werff recorded their 20th win of the season together, marking only the fourth pair to reach 20 in a single season.

Aya El Sayed recorded her 99th overall win at Colorado, tying her for the 33rd-most in CU history.

Heidi Crncan won her first career Big 12 match.

Alexin won her 30th career singles match.

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