Daily Bruin File Photo Sophomore Sara
Walker will be a huge asset as the Bruins take on Arizona
today at the LATC. WOMEN’S TENNIS vs. Friday 1:30
p.m. LATC vs. Saturday 12 p.m. LATC
By Jason Saltoun Ebin
Daily Bruin Contributor
Though the No. 9 Bruins will have their hands full with the No.
24 Wildcats today and the No. 7 Sun Devils Saturday, the team has
been practicing hard in the off-season and is well prepared for the
tough road of Pac-10 competition ahead.
Leading the women’s tennis team at No. 1 singles will be
No. 3 nationally ranked sophomore Sara Walker.
After suffering through a rough fall season as result of an
injury from last season, Walker appears close to regaining the form
that led her to a 14-3 singles record last season.
Walker competed at the No. 1 singles position last season in all
but two matches.
Following Walker in the singles lineup is junior Catherine
Hawley. Hawley had the best performance of any Bruin in the
off-season and was rewarded for her efforts as she hurdled her way
up to the No. 2 singles spot after competing at the fifth and sixth
spots last season (posting an 8-7 record). Hawley reached the
Flight 2 finals in the Pac-10 indoors two weeks ago without losing
a set until the finals.
Senior Zana Zlebnik is expected to round out the top half of the
Bruin singles lineup.
Despite having a tough fall season and posting an 0-4 record in
limited time at the No.’s 5 and 6 singles spots last season,
UCLA women’s tennis head coach Sampras had the confidence in
Zlebnik to move her up to the No. 3 position.
Zlebnik was, however, hindered by injuries much of last season
and early this season.
She now feels healthy and expects to play her best tennis.
Junior Petya Marinova will get her shot at No. 4 singles after
posting a 2-9 record last season at the No. 5 and 6 singles
positions. Marinova worked hard on her game in the off-season and
feels that she is playing some of her best tennis since starting at
UCLA.
Following Marinova, the Bruins’ youngest members, freshmen
Lauren Fisher and Mariko Fritz-Krockow, round out the last two
singles positions.
Fisher will make an immediate impact in the Bruin lineup this
season at the No. 5 singles position. But teamed with Marinova, the
duo form UCLA’s best doubles team and look forward to meeting
Arizona’s No. 1 doubles team.
“This is a team that we have already played twice,”
Fisher said. “We won the last time but they won the time
before. So this match is really exciting because we really want to
win and break the tie.”
Fritz-Krockow started UCLA this month after finishing high
school last November and has already earned herself the No. 6
singles position. But that should be no surprise to her coach or
teammates.
Fritz-Krockow is already one of the most experienced Bruins,
having had a stellar junior career, including competing in the
Junior Wimbledon and earning a ranking as high as No. 75 in the ITF
World Junior Rankings.
“So far I like playing at UCLA,” Fritz-Krockow said.
“The team has been really great and supportive but it is so
different, the whole team concept is completely new.”
Entering the lineup just for doubles, senior Jennifer Donahue
teams up with Fritz-Krockow to form the No. 3 doubles team.
On playing with Fritz-Krockow Donahue said, “Even though
we have never really played together, she has been playing tennis
her whole life, and even though she is a freshman she has more
experience than I do. Hopefully we will get a win.”
Additionally, this season the dual meet competition format has
changed so that the format is identical to the men’s.