Chi grinds her way to the top
Chi works from bottom of lineup to No. 1 in nation
By Chris Isidro
For some people, a week off means sun, surf and lots of sleep.
For Jane Chi, a week off from competition means only one thing
 more time to practice.
The Bruin netter sat out the Pac-10 Championships two weeks ago
after compiling a 38-5 record en route to recapturing the nation’s
top ranking. But it wasn’t long before Chi found the courts
again.
"It’s great to work with her because I never have to be hard on
Jane," UCLA assistant coach Stella Sampras said. "She is so
motivated and she always gives 100 percent."
Chi spent her third hour of practice last Tuesday bouncing
around the court like a pinball as Sampras delivered salvo after
salvo in the corners. But in the 80-degree heat, the UCLA junior
missed her passing shots just twice out of 25 attempts.
Then the former prep basketball player, recalling the days when
she would shoot free throws after a hard scrimmage, went behind the
baseline and banged out second serves long after her other
teammates stepped off the colored cement.
"She worked so hard to get where she is now," Jane’s sister
Stephanie Chi said. "People think that she never gets tired but
after practice, she is just so exhausted."
Nearly three years of that boundless effort brought Chi from the
bottom of the depth chart in her freshman year to the top of the
collegiate ranks. Little did anyone know that the 5-foot 5-inch
player from Meridian, Idaho, would even find action her first year,
much less explode up the rankings.
"It was tough because everybody else had wins and I was stuck at
eight," Chi said. "Coach just told me that I’d get a couple chances
and that I should just practice hard over the break."
There was no substitute for home cooking as Chi took advantage
of her next opportunity, this time at the Pac-10 Indoor
Championships. Not only did she get by first round, Chi was
unbeatable and went on to claim the Flight Three title.
A collegiate title in her freshman year  not a bad start
for someone who started competitive tennis when players her age
were already seasoned veterans of the junior circuit. Chi loved all
sports and guided her squad to the state championship meet in track
and cross country.
But while she was shattering school records on the track, Chi’s
parents thought that four sports might be too much for one person
to handle. Chi began playing the juniors circuit at 14 and made
headway quickly, garnering a No. 12 ranking two years later. She
leveled off in 18-and-unders and never made the top 20.
"My parents were always telling me that a jack of all trades is
a master of none," Chi said. "So I got to thinking that, ‘Oh no!
I’m not going to be good at anything.’"
When Chi came to UCLA, the other sports were no longer
distractions, but the adjustment to college proved to be a burden,
especially a class called biology 5.
"I went to check my score and welcome to college!" Chi said. "I
got a 48 out of 200 and I was so stoked for this midterm, I thought
I was going to ace this thing."
On the courts, Chi spent her first year playing No. 6 singles in
the obscurity of the back courts. While fellow freshman Keri Phebus
basked in the glow of playing top singles for UCLA, Chi resolved to
earn her own place on the Bruin squad.
"All the freshmen come in wanting to make a bang," says Chi. "It
didn’t come for me. So I just told myself that I’d have to come in
there to put in the extra hours because I’m playing catch up with
these girls."
Chi was considered a "grinder," someone who just looked to rally
the opponent to submission. The first thing the coaches tried to do
was make Chi a force at the net with her speed and quickness.
"We wanted to turn her ability to cover the court into an
offensive weapon," Zaima said. "She hits a very heavy ball and has
a good volley but the one thing she’s really worked on is using her
mobility to attack."
When Chi began attacking the net, she also started her charge up
the rankings. She reached the semifinals of the Pac-10
Championships, then began her sophomore year with a semifinal
appearance at the All-American. Despite suffering an elbow injury
late in the year, Chi came back to reach the quarterfinals of the
NCAA Championships.
This season, Chi took three titles including the Rolex National
Indoor Championship. The UCLA junior also scored two victories over
Phebus to hasten her march to No. 1.
But when Chi hit the top of the rankings in March, the pressure
to succeed nearly overcame her will. The matches grew longer, the
expectations got loftier and suddenly it seemed the time spent in
practice did not reflect itself in competition.
"It felt like the things I was working on weren’t working on the
courts," Chi said. "I was tired and frustrated."
Things came to a head in a match against Pacific’s Tracy Lee.
Chi spent 90 minutes on the court just hitting balls back without
the gusto that brought the Bruin junior to the top of the game.
After Chi’s humbling straight-set loss, it was time for a little
reflection.
"Things weren’t going my way and I was like, ‘I don’t care
anymore,’" Chi said. "Winning, losing, I didn’t care. It turned out
negative and once I was off the court, I was thinking that maybe I
do care."
Chi bounced back, crushing USC’s Nicole London in straight sets
then finished up with two big wins over California and Stanford to
reclaim No. 1.
"When Jane is unflappable, she can’t be beat," Zaima said. "She
just needs to be tough all the time, especially when she makes
tennis her vocation."
With the NCAA Championships fast approaching, Chi is spending
much of her time once again at drilling in practice.
"I’ve worked hard to get where I am now," Chi said. "I can rest
in a couple weeks."