Oregon women’s tennis fell in the final match of a tight battle against No. 32 UCLA Saturday, when Nia Rose lost 6-4 in a third-set tie breaker. The No. 35 Ducks ultimately lost the match 4-3 in an all-afternoon, back-and-forth match.
The loss was Oregon’s third in a row. It dropped the Ducks’ record to 11-5, 2-3 Pac-12.
The close match began with a doubles battle. Oregon took the advantage when Marlou Kluiving and Daniela Nasser won, 6-1. But when UCLA’s No. 7-ranked doubles pair got into a groove, the pair defeated Oregon’s Kennan Johnson and Shweta Sangwan. The last pair in play was Rose and Alyssa Tobita, who took a 4-3 advantage to defeat their UCLA opponents 6-4.
Oregon took the doubles point for the 1-0 lead in the match.
In the first matches of single play, Oregon split with the Bruins. Nasser won her match, but No. 70 singles player Kennan took a 6-2, 6-2 loss to her No. 18 opponent.
With Oregon ahead 2-1, Kluiving added another Oregon point and gave the Ducks a convincing 3-1 lead. With just one point to go, it looked as if the Ducks would take the win, but the Bruins had other plans.
UCLA shot back with a 2-0 scoring run to tie the score, leaving the fate of the match up to Rose on No. 4. The battle on court four went to a third set after Rose made a comeback to win the second set 6-3. Rose took a quick 3-2 lead in the third but ultimately lost 6-4, when Alaina Miller of UCLA made a late push.
The Ducks tumbled with a 4-3 match loss, but will have a change at redemption next weekend, when they take on Cal at Berkeley.
Follow Madison Layton on Twitter @MadisonLayton01