Four players set to compete in elite preseason tourney
By Daily Bruin Staff
Nov. 7, 2001 9:00 p.m.
 BRIDGET O’BRIEN/ Daily Bruin Senior Staff Sophomore
Marcin Matkowski is one of four UCLA players
invited to ITA Nationals.
By Gilbert Quiñonez
Daily Bruin Contributor
Four of the best tennis players at UCLA will compete in one of
the elite preseason tennis tournaments in the nation, the Omni
Hotels ITA National Indoor Championships, held in Dallas this
year.
Representing the women’s team are junior Sara Walker and
senior Petya Marinova. Walker is fresh off of a victory in both the
singles and doubles tournaments in the ITA Regionals, beating
second seed Jewel Peterson of USC in the finals. Walker and
Marinova won the doubles tournament by beating teammates Megan
Bradley and Lauren Fisher in an all-UCLA final.
This was the same tournament in which all three UCLA doubles
teams went to the semifinals. Walker will play in the singles
tournament, and she and Marinova will team up to play in the
doubles tournament.
“(Walker and Marinova) are playing so well, and it will be
great to see them play great players from the other
conferences,” UCLA women’s tennis head coach Stella
Sampras said.
The men’s tennis team will send sophomore Marcin Matkowski
and junior Jean-Julien Rojer to the ITA Nationals. Matkowski also
won the ITA Regionals singles tournament, going into the tournament
unseeded and upsetting fourth seed Stefan Suter of Pepperdine. In
the ITA Regionals doubles tournament, Matkowski and Rojer beat
Suter and Sebastien Graeff.
There are 32 people in both the men’s and women’s
singles tournament, and 16 doubles teams in each field. The
tournaments run from today to Sunday.
Sampras thinks highly of her team’s chances. When asked
about Walker, she expressed confidence in her.
“She’s our best singles player, and she’s
going into the tournament to win it.”
“I expect (Walker and Marinova) to do well. They’re
very excited to be here.”
