Cougar Classic Day 2 Results

PULLMAN, Wash.--Two Bulldog representatives advanced in the main bracket of the Cougar Classic Saturday as the Gonzaga women's tennis program continued its season-opening tournament on the Outdoor Tennis Courts on the campus of Washington State University in Pullman.

"I'm really pleased with the level the girls brought today," assistant coach Megan Falcon said. "We have a team in the finals of doubles and a player still in the main draw of singles. We're all looking forward to another day of competition tomorrow."

Freshman Sophie Whittle remains alive in both brackets as she advanced to the semifinals of the singles bracket with a two-set victory over top-seeded Maria Biryukova of Washington State. Whittle took the first set 6-4 and rolled in the second 6-1 for the win. In doubles play, Whittle and teammate senior Samantha Polayes moved to the championship match with a pair of wins. In the quarterfinals, they beat WSU's Barbora Michalkova and Victoria Matejevic 6-2, and they beat Trang Huynh/Aneta Miksovska, also of Washington State, by a similar score. They'll face yet another Cougar duo of Lize Leenknecht and Donika Bashota in the final Sunday, Sept. 13.

Two other Zags entered the day still competing for the singles bracket title. Freshman Nevada Apollo took Huynh, the bracket's No. 2 seed, to three sets before falling in their quarterfinal matchup 7-6, 4-6, 6-4. Also squaring off against a Cougar in the quarterfinals, sophomore Alex Bourguignon fell 6-3, 6-0 to Bashota.

Additionally, two other GU doubles pairs competed in quarterfinal matches Saturday. The duo of Sissi Koehler and Domonique Garley fell to Leenknecht/Bashota 6-3 to begin the day, and Melanie Yates and Nevada Apollo lost 6-2 to Biryukova and Holly Monahan 6-2.

Meanwhile, four Zags played consolation singles matches Saturday, and all four came away with a win. Garley won twice individually, beating Cat Orfanos of Montana 6-3, 6-0 and Molly Crum of Montana State 6-1, 6-0. Freshman Graciela Rosas took down Lewis-Clark State's Anna Rodriguez in three sets at 6-7, 6-3, 6-1, but lost her second match to MSU's Naomi Holopainen. Polayes posted a 6-1, 6-3 win over Montana's Cam Kincaid 6-1, 6-3, and Koehler took down Montana State's Linda Vink 3-6, 6-4, 6-1.

In consolation doubles play, Rosas and Bourguignon took down a mixed team of Lidia Dukic and Shelby Cerkovnik 6-3. That was their only doubles match of the day.

Polayes and Whittle go for the doubles crown of the Cougar Classic at 9:00 a.m. Sunday, while Whittle begins her semifinal singles match at 10:00 a.m., again in Pullman.