The road only becomes rougher from here for Riza Zalameda.
Although she has already had to come out on top in two three-set
matches during this year’s NCAA Championships for
women’s tennis, the sophomore faces perhaps her toughest
challenge in the upcoming Round of 16.
Standing in her path is two-time singles national champion, No.
8 Amber Liu of Stanford, who has lost just once in the NCAA Singles
draw. After capturing the title in 2003 and 2004, Liu withdrew in
last year’s first round match due to injury; but she knows to
approach this year’s tournament as she did in her
championship runs.
“I’m just going to take it one match at a time
now,” Liu said.
Zalameda, who advanced to the semifinals last season, has
already gained All-American status for her second straight year by
being one of the final players remaining in the tournament
draw.
She did so by defeating Kim Coventry of Kentucky 1-6, 6-2, 6-4
in the second round of play.
“I think I started off a bit slow and I got caught off
guard,” Zalameda said. “I figured out how to play her
and started playing with more patience in the second and third
sets.”
Joining the Bruin sophomore in the Sweet 16 are seven other
members of the Pac-10, four of whom helped Stanford reach its third
straight women’s tennis national title, highlighting the
conference’s domination in the sport.
USC, a semifinalist team in this year’s postseason, saw
two of its players, Lindsey Nelson and seventh-seeded Amanda Fink,
advance to today’s third round. Fink handed UCLA sophomore
Tracy Lin a 6-4, 6-3 defeat Thursday to move on, while Nelson was
forced to three sets before coming out on top.
In doubles action, the Bruin duo of Zalameda and senior Laura
Gordon defeated Lynzee Kever and Kellie Schmitt of Marshall in
three sets after losing the first.
The Bruins will now face off against Whitney Benik and Alexis
Gordon of Florida, a matchup that was played just over a week ago
when the two teams met in a dual match, with UCLA winning 8-6.
“It’s always harder to beat a team for the second
time,” Gordon said. “I think we need to get off to a
better start than we did in the first match and that will determine
our success.”
MEN’S TENNIS: Benjamin Kohlloeffel spent
more time on the court Thursday than was expected. Nevertheless, he
beat Colorado’s Eric Molnar 2-6, 6-4, 6-2 and advanced to the
third round.
Committing an usual amount of unforced errors, the junior was
down one set and a break within less than an hour of match time.
Molnar, who did not claim a single game the last time they played,
took advantage of Kohlloeffel’s shaky serve in the first
set.
“I came out really flat,” Kohlloeffel said. “I
don’t know what was wrong.”
But Kohlloeffel broke straight back and captured his
opponent’s serve again at 5-4 for the second set and cruised
in the third set.
“I’m just happy that I got through,” he
said.
The junior faces perhaps his greatest challenge today, as he
takes on San Diego’s Pierrick Ysern in the third round.
Despite being unseeded, Ysern reached the final in last
year’s NCAA Tournament, knocked a top-16 player out in the
first round, and beat Kohlloeffel earlier this season 4-6, 6-3,
(10-8).
With men’s tennis report from Muriel Cantryn, Bruin
Sports reporter.