AZUSA, Calif. -- After battling for over four hours, the No. 12-ranked Azusa Pacific women's tennis team defeated Cal State L.A. 4-3 on Thursday (Feb. 28) at the Munson and Bavougian Tennis Complex. With the win, the Cougars improve to 4-2 on the season.

Anna Savchenko broke a 3-3 deadlock in the final match of the duel, edging Luciana Di Laura in a third-set tiebreaker at No. 2 singles to clinch the decisive point and deliver victory to the Cougars. Savchenko rallied from an opening-set defeat to post a 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7-3) win.
 
The Cougars picked up the first point by winning all three matches in doubles play. The tandem of Petra Ivankovic and Audrey Stewart recorded the first victory at the No. 3 position, 6-2. Anna Savchenko and April Wong clinched the doubles point by winning at the No. 2 spot by a 6-4 margin, and Kara Hinton and Jacky Wagner completed the doubles sweep at the No. 1 slot with an exciting 7-6 (7-5) victory.
 
Azusa Pacific picked up the first singles point, as well, when No. 27 Petra Ivankovic won at the No. 1 position with a retirement from Cal State LA's Amanda Schneider after Ivankovic raced to a 5-0 lead in the opening set.  Over on court four, April Wong extended Azusa Pacific's lead to 3-0 with a 6-3, 6-2 victory. 
 
Cal State LA stormed back to tie the match at 3-3, starting with Chelsey Ruiz at the No. 6 spot claiming a 6-3, 6-3 win over Audrey Stewart. Berta Acero Garcia tallied another point for the Golden Eagles with her 6-4, 6-1 win over Jacky Wagner at No. 3, and Marika Sagaro picked up a three-set win, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3, at No. 5 singles to pull Cal State L.A. into a 3-3 tie with the fate of the match resting on the battle at No. 2 singles between Savchenko and Di Laura. 
 
Azusa Pacific returns to action on Saturday, March 2, when the Cougars travel to Irvine to take on Concordia.