LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – Host UNLV turned in a combined record of 9-3 on the opening day of the newly renamed Jolene Watanabe Classic Friday at the Fertitta Tennis Complex.
 
Joining UNLV in the lineup are competitors from Iowa, Utah, Texas Tech, Long Beach State, Grand Canyon and Dixie State.
 
In the top flight of singles, senior Izumi Asano cruised to a 6-1, 6-0 win over Ya-Chi Hsu of DSU. Also winning in singles were Zita Kovacs in Flight Two, Shir Azran and Aura Fang in Flight Three and Salsa Aher and Cindy Hu in Flight Four.
 
Asano and Coco Zhao won in doubles in the top flight while Azran and Hu teamed up for a victory in Flight Two.
 
Semifinal action takes place Saturday beginning at 10 a.m. All matches are free of charge.
 
The annual fall invitational was renamed this year to honor former tennis great Jolene Watanabe, who put the UNLV women's program on the map three decades ago and passed away in 2019 after a battle with cancer at the age of 50.
 
TEAMS
UNLV
Iowa
Utah
Grand Canyon (GCU)
Long Beach State (LBSU)
Texas Tech (TTU)
Dixie State (DSU)
 
JOLENE WATANABE CLASSIC
Nov. 12, 2021
At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas 
 
FLIGHT ONE SINGLES
Natasha Puehse (GCU) def. Zara Lennon (LBSU) 6-3, 6-4
Bojana Marinkov (TTU) def. Barbora Pokorna (IOWA) 7-5, 6-4
Izumi Asano (UNLV) def. Ya-Chi Hsu (DSU) 6-1, 6-0
Cristina Tiglea (TTU) def. Anastasia Goncharova (UTAH) 6-2, 6-2
 
FLIGHT TWO SINGLES
Tomi Main (TTU) def. Nikola Homolkova (LBSU) 7-5, 6-2
Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) def. Alex Hildreth (DSU) 6-1, 6-1
Fabienne Schmidt (GCU) def. Sheena Masuda (LBSU) 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
Zita Kovacs (UNLV) def. Madeline Lamoreaux (UTAH) 6-2, 3-6 6-2
 
FLIGHT THREE SINGLES
Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Camryn Stepp (TTU) 7-5, 6-4
Shir Azran (UNLV) def. Samantha Gillas (IOWA) 6-1, 6-2
Aura Fang (UNLV) def. Rachel Mellor (DSU) 6-3, 6-3
Claire Le Du (LBSU) def. Samantha Horwood (UTAH) 6-4, 6-3
 
FLIGHT FOUR SINGLES
Cindy Hu (UNLV) def. Valentina Del Marco (GCU) 6-1, 6-4
Alysha Damron (DSU) def. Andreea Ciornei (LBSU) 6-4, 6-2
Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) def. Autumn Prudhomme (GCU) 6-2, 3-6, 6-3
Salsa Aher (UNLV) def. Zuzanna Szczepanska (LBSU) 6-1, 6-1
  
FLIGHT FIVE SINGLES
Sara Rakim (GCU) def. Sara Alajbegovic (UNLV) 6-2, 6-2
Coco Zhao (UNLV) def. Aline Buhr (GCU) 6-1, 6-2
Jane Dorny (DSU) def. Leslie Fujitani (UNLV) 6-1, 6-1
 
FLIGHT ONE DOUBLES
Natasha Puehse/Santa Strombacha (GCU) def. Cristina Tiglea/Tomi Main (TTU) 6-4
Masuda/Homolkova (LBSU) def. Samantha Gillas/Vipasha Mehra (IOWA) 6-1
Izumi Asano/Coco Zhao (UNLV) def. Rachel Mellor/Alexandra Hildreth (DSU) 6-3
Samantha Horwood/Anastasia Goncharova (UTAH) def. Zara Lennon/Zuzanna Szczepanska (LBSU) 6-3
 
FLIGHT TWO DOUBLES
Zita Kovacs/Aura Fang (UNLV) def. Claire Le Du/Andreea Ciornei (LBSU) 6-2
Fabienne Schmidt/Autum Prudhomme (GCU) def. Alysha Damron/Jane Dorny (DSU) 6-0
Azran/Hu (UNLV) def. Barbara Pokorna/Michelle Bacalla (IOWA) 7-6
Bojana Marinkov/Carmryn Stepp (TTU) def. Salsa Aher/Sara Alajbegovic (UNLV) 6-1