NICOLE MILLER/Daily Bruin Junior Petya
Marinova runs for the ball during a match against Fresno
State earlier this season. New Mexico 4 UCLA
3USC 5 UCLA 2
By Jason Saltoun Ebin
Daily Bruin Contributor
If slump isn’t the right word to describe what the No. 22
UCLA women’s tennis team (3-7, 2-0 Pac-10) is going through,
who knows what is?
After starting 3-0 and rising as high as No. 6 in the nation,
the Bruins have lost their last seven matches and will surely drop
out of the top 25 after losing to No. 50 New Mexico (6-4) on Friday
4-3 and crosstown rival No. 12 USC (9-3) Saturday 5-2.
Against the Lobos, UCLA was still without No. 1 singles player
and national No. 15 All-American sophomore Sara Walker and No. 3
singles senior Zana Zlebnik. Walker is out with a stress reaction
in her left foot and Zlebnik with a back injury.
The Lobos took advantage of the weakened Bruin lineup and pulled
out a thrilling victory. After UCLA lost the doubles point but won
three of five singles matches, the match was tied at 3-3 and came
down to No. 6 singles senior co-captain Jennifer Donahue. She lost
the first set 7-5, came back to win the second set 6-2, but fell
6-1 in the third set.
Despite the loss, senior Christina Popescu entered the Bruin
lineup for the first time since March 3, 1999, after injuring her
knee in a match against USC. Against the Lobos, Popescu played No.
5 singles even though she has been practicing with the team for
less than a week.
“I was up 4-1 in the first set and then my arm got tired
and I was out of breath,” Popescu said. “I just need a
couple more weeks of training and then I should be back.”
“She has got a lot of work to catch up,” Coach
Stella Sampras added.
Popescu played mostly No. 1 for the Bruins in 1999 and earned a
No. 14 2000 preseason national ranking. If she can regain her form,
she will be fighting for a top spot in the lineup.
In Saturday’s nonconference match, USC beat UCLA despite
strong singles performances from junior Petya Marinova and freshman
Mariko Fritz-Krockow, who claimed UCLA’s only points at Nos.
2 and 5. Fritz-Krockow came back from a set down to win 6-4 in the
third.
Since moving up to No. 2 singles, Marinova has posted wins over
No. 19 Katja Kovac of Baylor, and No. 28 Liesl Fichtbauer of Fresno
State. She has since moved into the national rankings at No. 85
and, teamed with freshman Lauren Fisher, gained a No. 19 national
ranking in doubles.
“I play like I have nothing to lose,” Marinova
said.
Against USC, Walker played for the first time since Feb. 10, and
Zlebnik for the first time since Jan. 28. The two teamed up at No.
2 doubles to try and change the Bruin luck. But their return was
spoiled as they lost 8-3, and No. 3 doubles Fritz-Krockow and
Donahue fell 8-1 to give the doubles point to the Trojans.
At No. 1 singles, No. 83 Bruin junior Catherine Hawley put up a
fight against No. 22 Jewel Peterson, but fell 6-3, 6-3.
Rounding out the singles lineup, Fisher lost at No. 3 to No. 72
Maureen Diaz, Donahue fell 6-4, 6-1 at No. 5 and freshman Chelsea
Godgey fell 6-2, 6-1 at No. 6.
“Anytime we beat them (UCLA) is exciting. But clearly they
are missing some key players,” Southern Cal Coach Richard
Gallien said.
Popescu, Walker and Zlebnik weren’t in the Bruin singles
lineup against USC. Walker is waiting for the doctor’s
approval to return to singles action.
Popescu sat out after soreness from the New Mexico match and
Zlebnik is still nursing her back. The Bruins will get a rematch
with USC on March 30.
But first they take on Miami and No. 6 Texas this weekend. With
the lineup as anyone’s guess, UCLA will have a surprise or
two in store for the weekend. Miami and Texas should be prepared
for anything.