BERKELEY, Calif. - No. 18 Stanford had its three-match winning streak halted, dropping a 4-3 decision to No. 1 California on Sunday afternoon.
In a match televised on Pac-12 Networks, the Cardinal (10-5, 5-1 Pac-12) captured the doubles point for an early 1-0 lead, but was unable to generate momentum as the Golden Bears (17-0, 5-0 Pac-12) quickly surged ahead at the start of singles play.
The match represented an opportunity for Stanford to pick up another signature win to complement its 4-3 home victory over No. 7 Florida back on Feb. 28. With three matches remaining in the regular season, the Cardinal is aiming to lock in a top-16 seed in order to host NCAA Championships first and second rounds.
Despite the loss, Stanford has recently held the upper hand in the Bay Area rivalry, winning 10 of the last 15 meetings. Sunday’s tilt was considered a nonconference match, as only the April 16 rematch on The Farm will count in the Pac-12 standings.
California is enjoying its best season in school history and had too much firepower on Sunday. However, that was not the case in doubles, where Stanford collected victories at the top two spots to claim a 1-0 lead.
The Golden Bears snatched the momentum in singles, ripping off four straight matches to secure the victory. Lynn Chi, Karla Popovic and Klara Fabikova all powered their way to straight-set victories in which the trio surrendered three games or less in each set.
The clincher came from court one, where Maegan Manasse defeated Carol Zhao 7-5, 6-4. It was Zhao’s first loss of the season in five matches and only the second of her career in 13 meetings against a Golden Bear opponent.
Even with the match decided, Caroline Lampl and Krista Hardebeck both managed to grind out three-set victories on the back courts. Hardebeck won her 12th consecutive match and now leads the team with 18 overall victories.
Stanford returns to action on Friday, April 8, at Washington in a 12 p.m. match.
No. 1 California 4, No. 18 Stanford 3
DOUBLES
1) No. 4 Davidson/Doyle (STAN) d. No. 6 Manasse/Starr (CAL) 6-2
2) Lord/Zhao (STAN) d. Fabikova/Hauger (CAL) 6-3
3) No. 47 Hardebeck/Lampl (STAN) led Chi/Maria Smith (CAL) 5-4, unfinished
Order of Finish: 1, 2
SINGLES
1) No. 7 Maegan Manasse (CAL) d. No. 59 Carol Zhao (STAN) 7-5, 6-4
2) No. 11 Klara Fabikova (CAL) d. No. 23 Taylor Davidson (STAN) 6-2, 6-3
3) No. 64 Lynn Chi (CAL) d. No. 57 Caroline Doyle (STAN) 6-1, 6-3
4) No. 118 Krista Hardebeck (STAN) d. No. 93 Denise Starr (CAL) 6-2, 2-6, 7-6 (4)
5) Caroline Lampl (STAN) d. No. 68 Olivia Hauger (CAL) 6-4, 4-6, 6-3
6) Karla Polovic (CAL) d. Melissa Lord (STAN) 6-3, 6-1
Order of Finish: 3, 6, 2, 1, 5, 4