To win a set in tennis, one break might be all you need.
Against Long Beach State yesterday, all six Bruin starters broke
their opponents’ serves on their first opportunities, helping
them win their first dual match of the season 7-0.
“This is a good start for the season,” UCLA head
coach Stella Sampras Webster said. “It’s good for our
freshmen to see what college matches are like.”
The No. 7 Bruins started four freshmen, and only two returning
players competed in the match.
Freshman Jackie Carleton, the squad’s No. 2 starter,
easily won her first set 6-0 and got out to a 4-0 lead in the
second set. However, Carleton, the No. 84 player in the country,
had to survive a late comeback by Megan Bjorkman and only won the
second set 6-4.
“I got off to a fast start, and I was really playing
well,” Carleton said. “But I lost focus when I was up
so big. She started playing better too. I had to close it
out.”
Susi Wild was another freshman making her UCLA debut. As the No.
4 starter, Wild beat the 49ers’ Kelly Chan 6-2, 6-2.
“I played my game,” Wild said. “But it
wasn’t like I was playing the best opponent.”
Freshman Anya Loncaric barely started off with a win. The No. 6
starter lost her first set 5-7, but fought through two straight
sets that went into tiebreakers, to defeat Alanah Carroll 5-7, 7-6
(5), 7-6 (2). In the three-hour match, no player had a two-game
lead with the exception of the very end of the first set.
“(Loncaric) was struggling, and pulled it out,”
Sampras Webster said. “When you’re having a tough day,
and win, it shows a lot. I’m really proud of her.”
Thursday’s match also marked the return to the No. 1
starting spot for junior Sara Walker. Walker had been the No. 1
starter in her freshman year, but was demoted to the No. 2 spot her
sophomore year with Megan Bradley’s emergence. Over the
off-season, Bradley transferred to the University of Miami.
Walker easily beat Laura Thomas 6-1, 6-1.
“I stepped up and got the points,” the nationally
ranked No. 6 Walker said. “It’s very nice to be back at
No. 1.”
In the other two singles matches, sophomore Sarah Gregg beat
Lindsey Marvel 7-5, 6-4, and freshman Laura Gordon beat Claudia
Argumedo 6-3, 6-0.
“I got off to a slow start, and then started to play
better,” Gordon said. “I was more aggressive at the
end.”
In doubles, Gregg and Wild beat Bjorkman and Thomas 8-2, Walker
and Gordon beat Chan and Carroll 8-2, and Carleton and Loncaric
beat Argumedo and Marvel 8-5.
The Bruins will play Pepperdine at home on Saturday at noon.