Bruins look to ace Arizona State

MICHAEL MANTEL Sophomore Lauren Fisher
backhands the ball against Pepperdine earlier this season.

By Brian Kiley
Daily Bruin Contributor

It will be an opportunity for revenge today for the No. 11
Bruins when No. 7 Arizona State comes calling at 1:30 p.m. at the
Los Angeles Tennis Center.

Last year the Sun Devils trounced UCLA 6-1 in Tempe, and today
the red hot Bruins (6-0) will be looking to return the favor in
arguably their biggest test so far this year.

“We try to put last year behind us,” senior Petya
Marinova said. “If everyone takes care of their court we
should do just fine.”

ASU (3-0) features four players ranked 101 or better in the
nation, but UCLA head coach Stella Sampras says the team has done
their homework and will be ready to play.

“We’re working on individuals’ games and
getting (the team) ready,” she said. “We know a lot of
their players, so we’re figuring out good game plans for each
match.”

The marquee match figures to be at the No. 1 singles spot, where
No. 7 freshman Megan Bradley will face No. 17 junior Adria Engel of
ASU. They previously met in the Pac-10 Indoor Championships in
January, where Bradley came away with a 1-6, 6-1, 6-1, comeback
victory.

“I need to remember that I can beat her, and have
confidence,” Bradley said. “I have to go out there and
play my game and not fall into her style of play.”

While UCLA has the higher ranked player in the top two singles
slots, the Sun Devils’ strength is towards the bottom of the
lineup. Sampras still expects her 4-6 players to take care of
business.

“Our players are playing very well,” she said.
“They will be challenged but there is no reason that they
shouldn’t win their matches.”

The team’s No. 4 singles player, freshman Sarah Gregg, who
is coming off a 5-7, 1-6 loss against Pepperdine, believes that the
bottom part of the lineup will do its part to secure the team
victory.

“I think (the bottom part of the lineup) is one of the
strengths we’ve got,” Gregg said. “We’ve
got really strong depth on the team, so we equal them in that
department for sure.”

After ASU, UCLA will host No. 44 Arizona (4-0) on Saturday at
noon. The Bruins should have no trouble keeping the untested
Wildcats at bay.

The focus will be on defeating the Sun Devils.

“Mentally it’s very important for us to do well,
just to give us more confidence,” Sampras said.

“Right now we’re the underdogs, and we’re all
very excited,” sophomore Lauren Fisher said. “And when
we get excited good things happen.”