It's probably safe to assume last Saturday afternoon's performance won't make page one of the Vanessa Webb senior-year scrapbook.
Then again, don't expect a semifinal loss to Zuzana Lesenarova of San Diego at the Riviera All-American Tournament in Los Angeles to worry the nation's top player too much. Despite falling in the semifinals for the second consecutive year, Webb was able to string together an impressive early round run, highlighted by her victory over former No. 1 Agnes Muzamel.
"I think I played pretty well," Webb said. "I hadn't played a match in a month and a half, and I came out and played three really good matches. When I got to the semis, I was tired and just didn't play as well.
"In the second set [of the semifinal match] I was hitting a much better forehand, but it was too little too late, [Lesenarova] was just playing really well.... But I don't plan on losing to her again. I'm not going to make the same mistake twice."
Webb, the 1996 All-American Tournament champion, trailed early in her semifinal match. She dropped the first set 6-1 and found herself trailing 5-2 in the second set before staging a late rally that drew the set to a tiebreaker.
But constant pressure from Lesanerova, a baseliner, combined with a pair of controversial calls from the chair umpire in the tiebreaker ended Webb's day early.
"We went to the second-set tiebreaker, and the umpire made an awful call," Webb said. "I lost my temper at that call, and I'm generally such a calm player, but I lost my concentration. I don't blame the match on that, but two missed calls in five points hurts."
Her second set perseverance against a highly ranked baseline player, typically Webb's toughest opponents, proved almost as important to Webb as a win would have.
Much like last year's fall schedule, head coach Jamie Ashworth has kept Webb and the rest of the team's focus squarely on the NCAA Tournament, emphasizing improvements over results in the fall. Webb felt good to that end.
"I'm trying to be able to dictate more from the baseline," Webb said. "[Lesenorova] is one of the few who really bangs the ball. In the second set, I tried to hit with her and it worked out well. It gave confidence [me] that I can dictate from the baseline, and I need that."
Webb's day didn't improve much in doubles, as she and teammate Karen Goldstein, the nation's top duo, also fell in the semifinals. The pair was derailed by Allison Bradshaw and Katy Propstra of Arizona State.
"That was just the second time they've played together since the NCAAs," Ashworth said. "They're still getting used to working some things out. And they're making some changes, trying to work on some things that will pay off in the long run."
Although the tournament ended without a Duke player in the mix, it definitely didn't begin that way. All eight Blue Devils-the highest number from any team- found their way into the fold, competing in the qualifying rounds. Three of those, Webb, Megan Miller and Kristin Sanderson advanced to the main draw of 32 players. Playing singles and doubles through the qualifying rounds took its toll, however.
"This is the toughest tournament in tennis, tougher than the NCAAs because only 32 players are in the draw," Ashworth said. "With us, like with [Miller] coming out of qualifying and playing doubles, she was playing three matches in two days. Then with [Sanderson] to get a girl like Martina Nedelkova only playing singles, she's a lot better rested. But the girls know that and it's a price we have to pay."
With just one tournament remaining on the fall schedule, the Rolex Indoor regional qualifiers, and with a light schedule so far, Duke has been able to concentrate less on winning and more on improving. Ashworth believes he is now carrying a more confident team into the spring.
"We played well this weekend, in some spots better than before and in some not as well," Ashworth said. "But it was a good indicator on a national level how well all eight of our players did as a team. We have a lot more depth than other teams in the nation.
"We got to the tourney in California, and [freshman] Erica Biro is playing one and two seeds from other schools and winning. It was good for our girls to see that and realize what kind of depth we have this year."
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