The No. 7 women’s tennis team can consider itself tuned
up. The Bruins destroyed a sorely overmatched UC Irvine team 7-0
yesterday at the Los Angeles Tennis Center, in their final match
prior to the start of the Pac-10 season.
“Everyone came out really strong in the doubles,”
UCLA head coach Stella Sampras Webster said. “We got up in
every match and our players did a good job of setting the tone
early.”
The Bruins made it clear early on that it was going to be a
short day for the Anteaters, as Anya Loncaric and Jackie Carleson
wasted no time in securing an 8-0 win at No. 3 doubles. Sara Walker
and Laura Gordon turned in an easy 8-4 win at the top doubles spot,
a feat equaled by Sarah Gregg and Susi Wild at No. 2 doubles.
The top four singles matches were all over quickly, as UCLA
embarrassed the top of the Anteater line-up, surrendering a total
of six games in those four matches. Gordon struggled early at the
No. 5 spot, but won in three sets, and Loncaric turned in a 6-4,
6-3 win at No. 6 singles.
The Bruins can expect a significantly greater challenge at 1:30
p.m. today, as they defend their home court against No. 9 USC.
The rival teams are similar in the sense that they are both very
deep, but the Trojans hold a clear edge in experience. USC features
four seniors in its top six, including Jewel Peterson, who is
ranked third in the nation. UCLA’s strength also lies in its
depth, but three of its top six players are freshmen, and only
Walker and Gregg played regularly last season.
“(USC) has a lot more experience than we do, but our
freshmen are very talented,” Sampras Webster said.
“(Today) they will get a taste of what college tennis is all
about because it will be very intense.”
In a match between teams that are so equally talented, every
individual contest will be important, but the marquee match will be
on the No. 1 court. Seniors Walker and Peterson are close friends
and have established a tremendous rivalry during the course of
their careers.
Peterson got the upper hand in their last meeting at the Omni
Hotels Regionals in San Diego in October, defeating Walker 6-2,
6-2.
“Our games are so similar, and we’re both ranked
very high in the nation right now, so it should be a very good
match,” Walker said. “Whoever dictates the match wins
whenever we play.”
This will be the first meeting between the two teams since the
quarterfinals of last year’s NCAA tournament, where UCLA
knocked off the Trojans 4-1. Four of USC’s top six players
played in that match and have improved their national ranking since
then. The Trojans enter the match with a record of 2-0, but this
will be the first match against a ranked opponent for both
teams.
“This is going to be a good test for us,” said
Sampras Webster, who will be seeking her 100th career coaching
victory today. “It will be great to see our players compete
and see where they are at.”