PALM DESERT, Calif. – California's Olivia Hauger and Karla Popovic posted a solid doubles victory on the first day of the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships, though the Golden Bears dropped two of three singles matches on Wednesday at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa.
 
The 11th-ranked Popovic and Hauger defeated the Texas pair of Marta Perez Mur and Dani Wagland, 6-3, 6-3, in the main draw round of 32 to advance to Thursday's round of 16. The Bears will play Georgia's Katarina Jokic and Mariana Gould on Thursday.
 
The 75th-ranked Hauger also won in the singles main draw opening round of 64, besting Kentucky's Justina Mikulskyte, 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. But the fifth-ranked Popovic – the tournament's third seed, who was playing in just her third singles match of the season – fell in an upset to Mississippi's 17th-ranked Arianne Hartono, 3-6, 6-4, 6-1. Freshman Anna Bright also lost on Wednesday, 6-0, 6-0, to Duke's 11th-seeded and 54th-ranked Samantha Harris.
 
Hauger will face North Carolina's fifth-seeded Alle Sanford in Thursday's round of 32. Popovic and Bright will move over to the singles consolation bracket. Please check calbears.com or the official ITA tournament site later tonight for the draw for consolation singles.
 
"The level of tennis was high in every match," Cal head coach Amanda Augustus said. "We competed well. It was good to finish the day with a win in the doubles. Everyone will be playing again tomorrow and have an opportunity in the main draw or consolation draw to play against another talented opponent.
 
"In doubles, after we won the first set, I was really happy to see us keep our intensity up and keep our focus on our strategy in the first few games of the second set. We returned very well, and we've been working on being more aggressive at the net. We did a really good job of that today."
 
The five-day event concludes on Sunday.
 
Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
Nov. 1, 2017, in Palm Desert, Calif.
JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa
 
Main Draw Singles
 
Round of 64
No. 17 Arianne Hartono (Ole Miss) def. [3] No. 5 Karla Popovic (Cal), 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
No. 75 Olivia Hauger (Cal) def. Justina Mikulskyte (Kentucky), 6-4, 3-6, 6-2
[11] No. 54 Samantha Harris (Duke) def. Anna Bright (Cal), 6-0, 6-0
 
Main Draw Doubles
 
Round of 32
No. 11 Olivia Hauger/Karla Popovic (Cal) def. Marta Perez Mur/Dani Wagland (Texas), 6-3, 6-3