Tuesday, February 4, 1997
W. TENNIS:
Star freshman Cooper concentrates on just one sport out of her
many talentsBy Christie DeBeau
Daily Bruin Contributor
For freshman Annica Cooper, tennis was not always her passion.
In the world of athletics, it was just another sport she
participated in.
But times have changed and Cooper is now one of the top players
on the UCLA women’s tennis team.
Cooper began playing when she was about 6 years old and began
playing tournaments at 8. However, it was not until many years
later that she realized her love of the sport.
"I didn’t really get serious about it until I was about 13 or 14
because I played other sports," Cooper admitted. "Tennis was just
like one other sport."
This perspective has apparently shifted for Cooper, who now
looks forward to the competitiveness of her sport.
"I like the competition; sometimes I just get tired of
practicing a lot," Cooper said. "I mean practice can be fun if you
do a lot of variety of things, but just being in there in close
situations and seeing how far you can push yourself and how well
you can do, that’s the best part."
While this may be her first year playing collegiate tennis,
Annica Cooper has already faced tough competition and is handling
it like a seasoned veteran. And while Los Angeles may be far from
home for this Illinois rookie, she has found familiar ground on the
tennis court.
This fall, Cooper opened her collegiate career with four
victories in the pre-qualifying and qualifying rounds of the
Riviera All-American Tournament and also reached the finals of the
Rolex West Regional. Her preseason national ranking improved from a
tie at No. 85 to 39 in the national listings.
Were these winning matches beginner’s luck?
Obviously not.
Cooper, along with three fellow Bruins, opened the 1997 season
at the Milwaukee Tennis Classic, where she reached the finals in
the second quarter bracket.
The following week, Cooper was on the road again in Seattle for
the Pacific 10 Indoor Championships. It was in Washington that she
finally obtained a title (in flight two) after coming so painfully
close in her previous tournaments.
After battling through five matches of tough competition, Cooper
advanced to the finals, defeating junior teammate Kelly Rudolph, in
a grueling three-set match to win the crown.
"She had a great Fall Quarter and beginning of this quarter,"
head coach Stella Sampras said. "She already has made her mark in
college tennis by beating top players and will get even better as
the season continues. She will definitely play one or two for
us."
Along with experience, Cooper gained confidence in her ability
to compete.
"It really helped me a lot, especially playing top players and
knowing that I can play with (the top competitors)," Cooper said,
referring to her win in Seattle. "I was not really sure coming in
what the competition would be like and to just feel I could do it
helped."
It is mental toughness that Cooper attributes to her tourney
victory.
"What helped me in the Pac-10 was my serve and being able to
stay focused because one of my matches got really close," Cooper
said. "I just hung in there, was really focused and executed my
shots well."
"She is a calm cool player, not emotional," Sampras said. "She
keeps everything inside."
In her first dual match, Cooper’s recipe for success worked
well, as she won her match in the meet against Washington State.
Cooper is currently preparing for her next tournament, the Rolex
National Indoor Championships, where she will be one of two Bruins
competing next month.
"It’s indoors and it helps to have played the Pac-10 and
Milwaukee Tournament indoors," Cooper said. "I am used to playing
indoors because I’m from Chicago and I like it because it is much
better for serve and volley. Basically I am working hard, staying
in shape and keeping at a top level.
"My past win at the Pac-10 in the semifinals, … it was so
close and could have gone either way in the end. It makes me happy
to think about the fact that I pulled it off. That’s what I think
about now when I try to prepare myself for matches."