UCLA women’s tennis eliminates another top-10 opponent in No. 9 Baylor
Senior Maya Johansson had a commanding 6-0, 6-1 singles win as the No. 10 UCLA Bruins defeated the No. 9 Baylor Bears 6-1 on Thursday. UCLA had previously lost to Baylor three weeks ago 4-2 at the USTA/ITA National Team Indoors.
By Daniel Khayat
March 14, 2011 9:38 p.m.
For a team to reach the pinnacle of its sport, it has to eliminate teams between itself and the top. For the No. 10 UCLA women’s tennis team, the list is a relatively short one.
After Thursday’s 6-1 thrashing of No. 9 Baylor, UCLA can scratch another top-10 target off its agenda.
The win was the second victory the Bruins (11-4) have had this year over a team currently ranked in the International Tennis Association’s top 10, after downing now-No. 3 Miami on Feb. 19.
It was also a matter of exacting revenge for UCLA, which fell to the same Baylor (8-2) squad 4-2 in the consolation round of the National Indoor Championships back on Feb. 20.
As has been customary for the Bruins in recent games, the No. 2 and 3 doubles teams stormed out to quick wins while the top duo floundered slightly. Senior Andrea Remynse and freshman Courtney Dolehide dropped a hard-fought 8-6 battle on court No. 1, but junior McCall Jones and senior Noelle Hickey breezed through with an 8-3 win on the second court, while senior Maya Johansson and sophomore Pamela Montez rattled off an easy 8-1 win on Court No. 3.
Jones snapped her six-match singles losing streak by upsetting the No. 11 player in the country, Sona Novakova, 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 at the top position. Dolehide came back from an early deficit to defeat Karolina Filipiak 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 on court No. 5.
Hickey, Montez and Johansson each posted straight-set wins on courts No. 2, 4 and 6, respectively. The only Bruin to lose her singles match on the day was Remynse, who fell to Nina Secerbegovic 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 on court No. 3.
The Bruins will head west to Hawai’i to take on the Rainbow Wahine (5-7) on Monday in their last match before Pac-10 conference play begins the following week.
Compiled by Daniel Khayat, Bruin Sports reporter.
