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Sunday, May 26, 2002

One reached the final. The other didn't. That's the scorecard for two of the most promising women players from the district at the NCAA Division I doubles championships in Palo, Alto, Calif.

UCLA sophomore Lauren Fisher, who didn't play tennis as a junior and senior at Woodland Hills High School, teamed with Megan Bradley to defeat Duke's Hillary Adams and Kelly McCain in the quarterfinals, 7-6 (3), 4-6, 6-2.

Fisher and Bradley advanced to the final but lost to Stanford's Lauren Kalvaria and Gabriela Lastra, 6-2, 6-3.

Fisher competed in national and regional age-group tournaments her final two years of high school and trained with Craig Perry, then the director of tennis at the Oxford Athletic Club.

Fisher and Bradley, the Intercollegiate Tennis Association's national rookie of the year, didn't lose a set in winning in the first two rounds.

Vanderbilt's Sarah Riske, a 6-foot junior from Peters Township, and Aleke Tsoubanos lost in the quarterfinals to Florida's third-seeded Jessica Lehnoff and Lindsay Dawaf, 6-4, 6-3.

Riske lost in the first round of singles to LSU's Bruna Colosio, 6-3, 6-2.

Being one of the taller players from the time she first picked up a racket has had a plus side and a downside for Riske.

"It's been an advantage on my serve and volleys at the net, but it's been really hard growing up," she said. "It's taking me awhile to grow into my body and be able to lift weights and actually see results."

Campus courts

Penn State senior Jamie Gresh, a two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, lost to Miami's Todd Widon, 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the NCAA Division I championship.

Carnegie Mellon junior Kayvon Fatahalian lost in the semifinal of the NCAA Division III singles championship to eventual champion Josh Lefkowitz of Williams College, 6-3, 6-3. Fatahalian, who won the singles title as a freshman, defeated Mark Odgers of Emory in the quarterfinals, 6-4, 6-2, Eric Butorac of Gustavus Adolphus in the second round, 6-3, 6-1, and Justin Ingoglia of Middlebury in the opening round, 6-3, 7-5.

Four for forty?

Val Wilder keeps making the trip to the area from Euless, Texas, and keeps returning home with championships. He is three for three in winning singles titles at the National Men's 40 Indoor Championship at the Oxford Athletic Club in Monroeville.

Wilder, who turns 43 in a couple days, made a clean sweep last week with titles in singles and doubles.

"I'll be back," he said, smiling. Why? Certainly not for the money. The $1,000 first-place prize in singles barely covers expenses. Prestige? There's nothing left to prove.

"What brings me back? Ethel. She calls me once a month starting in January to see how I'm doing," he said. "She and everyone here make you feel welcome. They make you feel like they're happy to have you here."

Ethel is Ethel Hanson, a volunteer whose title includes promotion, marketing and sponsorship. But she's more than that.

"She's the heart of the tournament," Wilder said of Hanson, who has been connected with the tournament each of its eight years.

"They go above and beyond what they need to do. That's what makes this tournament a success. I only have the ability to play in so many tournaments a year, and this is one I plan for. This is a vacation. I take a week off work to beat up my body."

Asked how much longer he plans to play in this event, he said, "I'll be competitive in the 40s until I'm 50. I'll stay in shape."

While many in the field were falling because of nagging injuries this week, Wilder stood tall. He takes as much pride in his fitness routine as he does his shot-making.

"I think I'm a better player than I was when I first came here," said Wilder, who has lost only one age-group match in the past 9 1/2 years. "I keep working harder and harder."

And winning more and more.