Women’s tennis drops two matches up north
By Chris Isidro
PALO ALTOÂ The weather, the crowd, and ultimately the
opposition all teamed to give UCLA its worst weekend of the season.
The only sourvnior the Bruin women’s tennis team took home from
their Bay Area swing were two tough losses to California and
Stanford, by scores of 4-5 and 6-3, respectively.
Omnious clouds passed through Northern California just hours
before Friday’s match against Stanford, postponing it until Sunday.
That is not the first curve ball Mother Nature would throw to the
Bruins.
Swerling winds in the open courts of Hellman Tennis Stadium
frustrated the Bruins on a dreary Saturday morning. The rain stayed
away long enough for UCLA to lose four of six single matches
against Cal, their worst performance with their top line up this
season.
"The wind made it tough," Bruin senior Susie Starrett said. "We
just had to start our shots out and let the wind bring it back and
we’re used to ideal conditions."
Second-ranked Jane Chi engaged Cal’s Pam Nelson in No. 1
singles. The top Bruin started fast, breaking in the opening game
and capturing the first set. But Nelson dominated the final two
sets by taking advantage of the wind, staying in the point, and
waiting for a key error.
"The difference there is that Jane played unintelligebly," Cal
head coach Jan Brogan said in Nelson’s 6-7, 6-2, 6-1 victory. "Jane
Chi is not going to beat Pam Nelson from the baseline, period."
UCLA was able to force doubles when junior Keri Phebus quelled
Cal’s Jennifer Poulos, 6-7, 6-1, 6-3. Poulus started off the match
in a zone, tainting the lines early with her passing shots. But
Phebus used her serve to move inside the baseline and wear down the
Bear senior.
"I knew the team score in the middle of the match," Phebus said.
"I just told myself, ‘I had to win,’ just to keep it going."
The rain came down just after singles ended, forcing the doubles
matches indoors. The Bruins nearly staged an improbable comeback,
taking the top two doubles matches before the Bruin No. 4 duo of
Paige Yaroshuk and Diana Spadea fell to Nicole Elliot and Vera
Vitels, 6-0, 1-6, 6-4.
Sunday was a glorious day for tennis especially for the
Cardinal. Stanford came into the match injury free with a raucous
and unoccaionally caustic crowd making the noise. The walking
wounded of Westwood meanwhile added another to its ranks. Starrett
joined freshman Kelly Rudolph in the stands with a sore knee.
The pivotal match occured at No. 3 singles, pitting Yaroshuk
against Stanford senior Kim Shasby. Yaroshuk took the first set
6-4, but Cardinal fans turned the heat up on the Bruin captain and
gave Shasby a second win.
"I wanted to approach the net much more often than I did,"
Shasby said of her 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win. "But her high spinning balls
kept me on the baselines. I just tried to step in the first chance
I got."
Once again, the Bruins entered doubles down 4-2. While UCLA made
things interesting, winning the top doubles and forcing the other
two to three sets, the Cardinal kept their eight-year home winning
streak alive with wins at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.