SANTA CLARA, Calif. – Nabila Farah's three-set singles victory clinched a 4-3 thriller for Santa Clara women's tennis in its West Coast Conference matchup with Portland on Saturday.
The Broncos (8-6, 2-2) were able to hold off the Pilots (4-9, 1-2) in a match that featured four singles matches reaching three sets.
Zeina El Tawil gave the Broncos a 3-2 lead after she came from behind to down Portland's Saroop Dhatt 2-6, 6-1, 6-0 at No. 6 singles.
After Maja Mladenovic held off Santa Clara's Delphine Rouvillois 2-6, 6-4, 6-4 on court No. 3 to even the match at 3-all, Farah closed out her 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 comeback win over Tori Troesch at the No. 5 position.
"Nabila was fantastic in the third set," Santa Clara head coach Ben Cabell said. "She was down and stayed tough."
Farah trailed 2-1 in the third set before taking a 5-2 lead. However, Troesch fought off match point down 5-2 and won the next game before Farah closed out her team-high 14th singles win on serve.
"You don't know it's going to be you, but you always have to be on top of your game," Farah said of playing in the final singles match. "I like to be in that position."
Madison Clarke gave the Broncos a 2-0 lead after she closed out Tatiana Grigoryan 6-3, 6-1 at No. 4 singles.
But the Pilots evened the match at 2-all with wins at Nos. 1 and 2 singles.
Portland's Lucia Butkovska downed Daniella Silva 6-2, 7-6 (4) on the No. 1 court and Radina Dimitrova rallied to knock off Chelby Cooke 2-6, 6-0, 6-4 at No. 2.
"Just a great college match overall," Cabell said. "I'm just really proud of the effort. It was tight all the way around. I thought doubles was key."
Farah and Silva dispatched Butkovska and Tori Troesch 6-2 at on the No. 1 court before Rouvillois and Zeina El Tawil came from behind to knock off Dimitrova and Grigoryan 6-4 to clinch the doubles point.
But there's no rest for the Broncos as red-hot Gonzaga (12-1, 2-0) comes to town Sunday. The Bulldogs entered Saturday afternoon's meeting with San Francisco riding a 11-match winning streak, including home victories last week vs. San Diego and BYU.
The match between the Broncos and Bulldogs is set for 11 a.m. in Degheri Tennis Center where Santa Clara has won five of six this season.
Parking & Admission: Admission is free to Degheri Tennis Center. Metered parking should be available in the Leavey Center lot (free on Saturday and Sunday), which is adjacent to the tennis center. Click here for a campus map and parking information.
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