FRESNO, Calif. -- Sacramento State clinched the first doubles point of the year and Mayya Gorbunova and Grace McSkimming each posted singles wins in their season debuts, but host and No. 65-ranked Fresno State was able to "single out" the Hornets on Sunday, winning the four remaining singles contests to escape with a 4-3 victory in the regular season opener for both teams at the Fig Garden Swim & Racquet Club in Fresno, Calif.

After dropping the first doubles match of the day at the No. 2 spot, Sacramento State rallied to take a pair in tiebreakers to take a 1-0 lead in the match overall. The tandem of junior Mayya Gorbunova and senior Tsveti Yotova took home a win at No. 1 doubles with a 7-6 victory, winning the tiebreaker 7-1, while sophomore Maddy Ferreros and junior Alexis Johnson gave up only three points in their tiebreaker en route to a 7-6 win at No. 3.

The Bulldogs then rallied to take control of the match with straight-set wins at the No. 2, No. 3, and No. 4 spots in the singles lineup, putting them one match away from victory.

Gorbunova stopped the bleeding with a straight-set win at the top spot, outlasting Matilde Magrini, 7-6 (3), 7-5, and sophomore Grace McSkimming brought the Hornets even with a win at No. 6, taking down Carlotta Nonnis in a three-set marathon, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4.

That left the contest up to the battle at the No. 5 spot, as newcomer Julia Moraes bounced back from an opening set loss to post a 6-4 win in the second and force a decisive third set. Fresno State's Mariia Vyshkina, however, proved to be too much, winning the third, 6-3, to clinch the match.

Sacramento State opens the home portion of its 2023 spring schedule on Saturday (Jan. 28), hosting San Jose State in the first of three straight home contests at 1 p.m. at the Sacramento State Tennis Courts on campus.

NCAA WOMEN'S TENNIS
No. 65 Fresno State 4, Sacramento State 3
Jan. 22, 2023 // Fresno, Calif. (Fig Garden Swim & Racquet Club)

DOUBLES
1. Mayya Gorbunova / Tsveti Yotova (SAC) def. Matilde Magrini / Carolina Piferi (FS), 7-6 (1)
2. Meshkatolzahra Safi / Mariia Vyshkina (FS) def. Weronika Ejsmont / Best Lee (SAC), 6-2
3. Maddy Ferreros / Alexis Johnson (SAC) def. Cristina Flaquer / Carlotta Nonnis Marzano (FS), 7-6 (3)

Order of finish: 2, 1, 3*

SINGLES
1. Mayya Gorbunova (SAC) def. Matilde Magrini (FS), 7-6 (3), 7-5
2. Meshkatolzahra Safi (FS) def. Maddy Ferreros (SAC), 6-4, 7-5
3. Cristina Flaquer (FS) def. Tsveti Yotova (SAC), 6-3, 7-5
4. Carolina Piferi (FS) def. Weronika Ejsmont (SAC), 6-2, 6-4
5. Mariia Vyshkina (FS) def. Julia Moraes (SAC), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
6. Grace McSkimming (SAC) def. Carlotta Nonnis (FS), 6-2, 4-6, 6-4

Order of finish: 3, 2, 4, 1, 6, 5*

* denotes clinching match