Slumping women’s
tennis falls at USC
Bruins’ losing streak stretches to four with 5-3 loss
By Chris Isidro
The courts were red, the lines were gold, but all UCLA saw at
the David X. Marks Tennis Stadium was blue.
The Bruin women (14-6 overall, 4-4 Pac-10 South) dropped a 5-3
decision to No. 25 USC on Saturday for their fourth straight loss.
Though the No. 4 Bruins had an injury list almost as formidable as
its starting lineup, the Women of Troy (8-11, 2-6) will take any
win they can get.
"We took advantage of a team that was down," USC head coach Ed
Burt said. "But that’s what you’ve got to do when they come in
banged-up."
The Bruins were able to field a complete lineup against USC,
something they did not do in their loss to unranked Pacific on
Thursday, and early in the match, it seemed UCLA was ready to
rebound from its slump.
Third-ranked Keri Phebus, undefeated in dual matches this
season, matched up with top Trojan Suzie Italiano. The Bruin junior
tussled with Italiano in the opening two games, battling long deuce
games mainly from the baseline. Phebus emerged ahead 2-0 and never
released Italiano from her grasp.
"She’s the kind of person that if you get on her early, you take
her out of the match," Phebus said of her 6-0, 6-0 sweep on
Saturday.
Second-ranked Jane Chi dropped down to No. 2 singles in
University Park with positive results. Chi finally breezed through
a match, which she hadn’t done since reaching the top of the
national rankings in March, against Nicole London.
Chi returned to form by moving forward and staying out of the
grinding rallies which often frustrated the junior. London fell
into Chi’s trap in her 6-2, 6-1 loss by going for the winner early
and too often hitting past the gold stripes.
UCLA found itself ahead 3-0 after Diana Spadea’s 6-0, 6-3 win
over Petra Schmitt with two other singles matches up for grabs.
Bruin captain Paige Yaroshuk was locked in a grinder with Maggie
Simkova. The Trojan senior often sent the ball looping high above
the court forcing long battles behind the baseline.
While Yaroshuk had opportunities, she missed a number of her
shots and grew tentative about keeping the action just above the
net. Simkova took advantage by sneaking behind her looping balls in
her 6-3, 6-4 win.
Meanwhile, Anicia Mendez fought back from a set and a break down
to force a deciding stanza against USC’s Melissa Hernando. Mendez,
nursing a sore arm, lost an early break in the third. After
fighting off a break point, Hernando worked her way up to the net
and marked a Mendez dig for the open court to hold at 5-3.
Mendez seemed finished at 0-30, but she reached out to dig up a
slice approach and Hernando smashed the sure winner into the net.
Mendez won the next three points to go 4-5.
The 10th game became a battle of nerves for both players. It
seemed Hernando had control after forcing Mendez to lob up three
overheads before hitting her fourth dig into the net for match
point. But Hernando needed two more match points to finally earn a
6-3, 4-6, 6-4 win.
"I was a little nervous," Hernando said about her struggles in
the final game. "But I tried to think it was like any other
point."
The match suddenly hinged on doubles, with the score 3-3. Phebus
and Spadea teamed at No. 1 against Italiano and Schmitt. The Trojan
duo forgot what their opponents across the net did to them earlier
and took the first set.
The Trojans stayed even with Phebus and Spadea in the second and
went to 4-4 when the Bruins, in a moment of indecision, allowed a
floater between their cocked rackets for the winner.
In the next game, Phebus’ serve decided the outcome. Down 0-30,
Phebus double faulted to bring up a triple break point. Then she
unleashed two huge serves which helped the Bruins back to 30-40.
There, Phebus, as always, went big with her second serve but this
time found the net to give the Trojans the key break.
"Keri really didn’t serve really well today," Schmitt said after
the 6-4, 6-2 upset. "I think any kind of win against Keri is a good
win."
The match was decided at No. 3 when Pam Trump and Sabrina Lau
defeated Yaroshuk and Michelle Jannone 6-2, 7-5 to give USC an
insurmountable 5-3 margin.