Two members of Oregon’s tennis teams have a chance to claim their first singles national championship this weekend.
Sven Swinnen and Daria Panova will
each compete in a 32-player field at the Intercollegiate Tennis Association National Indoor Championships in Ann Arbor, Mich., beginning today.
Swinnen, ranked the No. 12 singles player in the nation, received an automatic bid to the national tournament when he claimed the Wilson/ITA West Regional title last week. The 23-year-old Swinnen was the first-ever Oregon men’s tennis player to win the title after defeating Matt Loucks of Portland in three sets, 6-2, 3-6 and 6-3.
“I’m going to try and keep playing like I did at regionals,” Swinnen said. “I want to stick to my game plan I guess and just hope it works.”
Swinnen said he had been battling an ankle injury to begin the season, which caused him to bow out of the first round of the ITA All-American tournament in early October.
“The ankle is good right now,” Swinnen said. “Now I feel good and now I’m excited for Michigan.”
Oregon assistant coach Ross Duncan said he was impressed with the way his No. 1 player was able to bounce back in a big way and is hopeful he will turn in a good performance at the ITA nationals.
“I have high expectations and high hopes,” Duncan said. “Because the tournament is indoors, anyone can beat anyone. Those first couple of rounds are crucial, so I’m kind of hoping he can really get through those and from then on, it’s who knows.”
On the women’s side, Panova received an at-large bid to the ITA national tournament. The 22-year-old Panova is ranked No. 8 in the nation, but was ousted in the third round of the ITA West Regionals to Stanford’s Whitney Deason in straight sets, 6-4 and 6-0.
“I did play my best tennis. I think I played like usual, but the girl played really, really good,” Panova said. “In the first set, I played OK, but in the second set, she played unbelievable.”
Panova is compiling an impressive resume at Oregon. She is the all-time career leader in wins (76) and single-season victories (32 last season). Panova, a senior, also is the owner of three Pacific-10 Conference women’s singles titles, including the 2003 indoor and outdoor titles and the 2004 indoor championship.
However, the national championship is one that has slipped out of her grasp in her four years at Oregon. Panova said she struggles to keep her emotions from affecting her matches.
“Even if I lose the first set, I just need to fight until the end,” Panova said. “I think I’m ready though.”
Panova, a native of Moscow, Russia, said she has high expectations for herself this weekend and hopes to bring home her first singles national title.
“My expectation is to win nationals,” Panova said. “I can do it. I believe in myself.”

Alex Tam is a freelance reporter
for the Daily Emerald