Colorado opened the Battle In The Bay Classic with a doubles statement Thursday in San Francisco, as Lera Alexin and Ema Bubalo powered the Buffs past Pepperdine to kick off the four-day event at the California Tennis Club.
Alexin and Bubalo, who also picked up a doubles win in the Bay last year, came out sharp against the ITA’s No. 31-ranked pair of Alexia Harmon and Chantal Sauvant. The Buffs handled the third-seeded Waves duo in a pro set, rolling to an 8-4 win and grabbing the early edge for Colorado.
“I thought we played a solid doubles match today,” CU Head Coach Anthony Pham said. “We did a nice job of sticking to our game plan and executed well during crucial moments.”
Bubalo then carried that momentum into singles play. In the afternoon, she faced Cal’s Nika Hurkacz, the tournament’s fifth seed, and hung around early before Hurkacz pulled away.
Bubalo grabbed the first two games and the pair traded the lead in the opening stretch, but Hurkacz took the first set 6-3. Bubalo kept fighting in the second, pushing multiple games to deuce, though Hurkacz shut the door with a 6-0 set to finish the match.
Later, Alexin met Duke’s Ava Krug in a back-and-forth singles battle. Krug took the first set 6-1, but Alexin answered with a 6-4 win in the second to force a decider. Krug regained control in the third and closed it out 6-2.
Play began Thursday morning at 9:45 local time at the oldest tennis club west of the Mississippi, and Colorado’s opening-day work left Pham focused on the next round.
“There were some bright moments but overall adjustments to make and things to clean up going into tomorrow,”Pham said. “Lera and Ema are looking forward to taking advantage of the opportunities that are presented tomorrow.”
The Buffs return to action Friday morning, with doubles set for 10 a.m. local time before singles play later in the day.
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