Team gets off to slow conference start

  Daily Bruin File Photo Sara Walker
smashes a forehand in a match last year. The Bruins had a
disappointing performance this weekend in Washington. UCLA
10, USC 0

By Jason Saltoun Ebin
Daily Bruin Contributor

Nine Pac-10 teams, including top-ranked Stanford, No. 5
California, No. 7 Arizona State, No. 9 UCLA, No. 12 Southern
California, No. 24 Arizona, and No. 26 Washington made the annual
trip to Seattle over the past weekend to open individual conference
competition.

But if the tournament was any indication of the season ahead,
the Bruins will be an average team in the what looks to be the best
conference in the nation. Meanwhile, the Cardinal took a giant step
toward another Pac-10 championship and national title.

Dominating the competition, the Cardinal won three out of the
five individual brackets, including the No. 1 and No. 3 singles
titles and the No. 1 doubles title. For Stanford, Laura Granville
defeated Adria Engel (ASU) 6-1, 6-4 to capture the No. 1 singles
title; Sarah Pestieau defeated Bernadette Bayani (USC) 6-4, 5-7,
6-3 to capture the No. 3 singles title; and the team of
Barnikow/Kalvaria defeated Granville/Lastra (also Stanford)
9-8(3).

From California, Christina Fusano defeated UCLA junior Catherine
Hawley 6-3, 6-3 to win the No. 2 singles bracket. Hawley had the
best tournament of any Bruin, as the rest of the team failed to
advance past the second round in their individual brackets.

“She played amazingly,” freshman Lauren Fisher said.
“I think it is just motivating for me and the rest of the
team to see Catherine out there always giving 110 per
cent.”

Hawley added, “I was disappointed in my play in the finals
but it was a good tournament as a whole.”

“There were a lot of close games in the finals but it just
did not happen for me. I try to give 110 percent every day but you
can’t play your best all the time,” she said.

In doubles competition, UCLA’s effort was highlighted by
the team of junior Petya Marinova and Fisher, who ousted the No. 3
team in the nation, Lindsay Blau and Michelle Gouch (Arizona),
9-8(1) in the first round.

“We played a great match,” Marinova said. “I
think I played the best tennis last weekend since starting at
UCLA.”

Fisher added, “We played a really good match our first
round but just did not play as consistently in the second
round.”

Fisher and Marinova fell 8-4 in the second round to the team of
Tiffany Brymer and Jewel Peterson (USC).

Bruin sophomore Sara Walker and senior Zana Zlebnik teamed up to
defeat the nationally ranked No. 17 team of Nicole Havlicek and
Jieun Jacobs (California) 8-6 before falling to Darija Klaic and
Kirstina Kraszewski (Washington) 9-7. Senior Jennifer Donahue and
Hawley also teamed up but fell in the first round to the team of
Stacey McKeena and Ana Maria Moura (WSU) 8-2.

“Even though, with the exception of Hawley, we all lost in
the first or second round, it did not seem disappointing,”
Donahue said. “Everyone was composed and working on something
and we all saw improvement. It was just a learning experience.

“Right now, we are not looking so much at the results as
the improvements, because what matters is not what happens now but
in May,” she said.

However, if head coach Stella Sampras has any hope of competing
in May, her team will have to stop talking about improving and
start putting up some wins. The Bruins will get their next chances
against Arizona and Arizona State on Jan. 26 and 27,
respectively.