The Oregon women’s tennis team faced a monumental challenge last week as it battled three Pacific-10 Conference teams on the road — all ranked in the nation’s top 25.
The Ducks (13-4 overall, 2-3 Pac-10) came out with one win in the three matches, including a 4-3 victory over Washington on March 22 in Seattle. The No. 16 Huskies are the highest-ranked opponent that Oregon has beaten in the program’s history.
“This team is playing outstanding tennis right now,” Oregon head coach Nils Schyllander said last week. “Every time we hit the court, we are getting better. Our confidence is growing and growing.
After beating (No. 22) BYU (on
March 19), we knew we had an
excellent chance to get a win over
the Huskies.”
Oregon took a 3-2 lead in the match when Dominika Dieskova defeated Washington’s Dinka Hadzic — ranked No. 43 in the nation — in straight sets, 6-2, 6-3. Dieskova has won 11 of her last 15 singles matches, leading her to a No. 73 ranking.
Needing just one more victory to clinch the match, Daria Panova did just that by closing out ninth-ranked Dea Sumantri in two sets, 7-5, 6-4. Panova, who is now unranked after beginning the season as high as
No. 8 in the nation, captured her 12th singles win of the season.
Prior to the victory, the Ducks had lost to the Huskies six consecutive times, including a 5-2 loss on Feb. 12 in Eugene.
In the last two matches on the road trip, Oregon lost a close match to No. 24 California, 4-3, on March 25 and fell to No. 1 Stanford, 6-1, on March 26.
The Ducks took a quick 1-0 lead in the loss to California when they won the doubles point. The 43rd-ranked duo of Panova and Dieskova got its 13th victory after defeating Cal’s Suzi Babos and Marion Ravelojaona, 8-4.
The Golden Bears tied the score at 3-3 by winning three of five singles matches. The match came down to the No. 2 position between Dieskova and Stephanie Kusano. Kusano captured the win and clinched the dual match for Cal in a tough three-setter, 7-5, 3-6, 6-4.
“We battled as well as we have all season today,” Schyllander said last week. “Everyone on the team played their hearts out. Despite losing, I feel nothing but positive things. This team is playing excellent tennis, and we are only going to get better.”
In the 6-1 loss to Stanford, Oregon’s Davina Mendiburu scored the Ducks’ lone point when she upset 38th-ranked Theresa Logar, 6-3, 6-3, to improve her singles record to 11-5.
The defending national champion Cardinal have players ranked in the top 90 in the nation at each position of the lineup. At the No. 1 position, Amber Liu — ranked No. 14 and the defending NCAA singles champion — handed Panova her fourth loss of the dual season in straight sets,
6-4, 6-2.
The Oregon women continue their stretch against top 25 teams when No. 5 Southern California visits Eugene on Friday at 1:30 p.m. The Ducks will also face No. 11 UCLA Saturday at noon. The home matches are held at the Student
Tennis Center.
Men’s tennis struggles
The Oregon men’s tennis team (7-11, 0-2) continues to struggle after losing its eighth consecutive match in a 6-1 home loss to Stanford on March 26.
The Ducks also lost to No. 29
California, 6-1, and were upset at home by Portland, 4-3. After beginning the season with a 5-1 record under first-year head coach Kevin Kowalik, the Ducks are in the midst of a losing streak in which they have dropped 10 of their last 12 matches.
One of the bright spots on the team is Sven Swinnen — ranked No. 22 in the nation — who holds a 13-2
singles record in the dual season.
The Oregon men travel to Los Angeles to face USC on Friday and UCLA on Saturday.
Women claim one win in three matches on the road
Daily Emerald
March 27, 2005
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