NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. – Cal edged closer to another national championship when Anna Bright and Haley Giavara won their Friday doubles quarterfinal in straight sets at the Oracle ITA National Fall Championships. The Golden Bears defeated Wake Forest's MC Meredith and Eliza Omirou, 6-4, 6-0, in the quarterfinals to book their spot in Saturday's semifinals.
 
The Cal duo will take on N.C State's top-ranked and top-seeded Anna Rogers and Alana Smith at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday for a berth in Sunday's final. The Bears are familiar with the Wolfpack pair, which knocked off Cal's Julia Rosenqvist and Hana Mraz in the NCAA Doubles Championship round of 32 last May.
 
Earlier on Friday at fall nationals, Giavara upset another top-10 singles opponent in North Carolina's fourth-ranked and fourth-seeded Alexa Graham, 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, in the round of 16. But another Carolina foe – South Carolina's 125th-ranked Megan Davies – ended Giavara's singles run in the quarterfinals, with the first-year Bear falling, 6-4, 6-7(6), 6-4.
 
TEMPE, Ariz. – The Golden Bears posted five victories on the first day of the ASU Thunderbird Invitational, with the 24th-ranked Julia Rosenqvist getting a 7-6(3), 6-2, result over Notre Dame's Julia Lilien in singles.
 
Also in singles, Katerina Stloukalova beat Notre Dame's Maeve Koscielski, 6-4, 6-3, and fellow Cal senior Alexis Nelson topped Notre Dame's Zoe Taylor, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3.
 
Rosenqvist partnered with Jasie Dunk in doubles, and the Bears beat Ohio State's Irina Cantos Siemers and Cindy Chen, 6-4. Nelson and Stloukalova likewise had a 6-4 win over Michigan's Lanie Van Linge and Lera Patiuk.
 
The Sun Devils' tournament ends on Sunday.
 
Oracle ITA National Fall Championships
Nov. 8, 2019, in Newport Beach, Calif.
Newport Beach Tennis Club
 
Main Draw Singles – Round of 16
Haley Giavara (Cal) def. [4] No. 4 Alexa Graham (UNC), 4-6, 6-3, 6-4
 
Main Draw Singles – Quarterfinal Round
No. 125 Megan Davies (South Carolina) def. Haley Giavara (Cal), 6-4, 7-6(6), 6-4
 
Main Draw Doubles – Quarterfinal Round
Anna Bright/Haley Giavara (Cal) def. MC Meredith/Eliza Omirou (Wake Forest), 6-4, 6-0
 
ASU Thunderbird Invitational
Nov. 8, 2019, in Tempe, Ariz.
Whiteman Tennis Center
 
Singles
No. 24 Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. Julia Lilien (Notre Dame), 7-6(3), 6-2
Katerina Stloukalova (Cal) def. Maeve Koscielski (Notre Dame), 6-4, 6-3
Alexis Nelson (Cal) def. Zoe Taylor (Notre Dame), 4-6, 6-4, 6-3
Bess Waldrum (Notre Dame) def. Jessica Zeynel (Cal), 6-4, 6-2
 
Doubles
Jasie Dunk/Julia Rosenqvist (Cal) def. Irina Cantos Siemers/Cindy Chen (Ohio State), 6-4
Katerina Stloukalova/Alexis Nelson (Cal) def. Lanie Van Linge/Lera Patiuk (Michigan), 6-4
Helena Francati/Jessi Muljat (USD) def. Jessica Zeynel (Cal)/Zoe Taylor (Notre Dame), 6-2