The two competing members of the Arizona women’s tennis team ended their stay at the ITA All-American Championships after the first day of competition yesterday in Pacific Palisades, Calif., at the Riviera Country Club.
Sophomore Danielle Steinberg (second round) and junior Juliette Mavroleon (first round) fell in the qualifying event to end their runs in the tournament, as they won’t be competing in the doubles tournament.
“”Physically
(Steinberg) just wasn’t capable of playing as well as she probably could have if she’d been a little fresher.””
Vicky Maes,
UA tennis head coach
Steinberg, who ranks No. 29 in the nation, lost the first set of the second round of the qualifying singles event to junior Cristina Visico of California, 6-3, but she fought back to win the second set, 6-4. It was not enough, though, as she lost the final set, 6-2, ending her run in her career’s first ITA All-American event, a competition that features the nation’s best players.
UA head coach Vicky Maes said that although she was pleased with Steinberg’s performance, she wished Steinberg would have played more matches.
“”It’s probably not the kind of player that Danielle would normally lose to,”” Maes said. “”But she had a three-hour event this morning, and physically she just wasn’t capable of playing as well as she probably could have if she’d been a little fresher.””
She did see early success in the first round of the qualifying event as she defeated Notre Dame junior Brook Burk in three sets, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4. The victory was also the team captain’s first win of the season in her first tournament.
Mavroleon did not fare as well. She lost in straight sets (6-2, 6-3) to the No. 26 player in the country, Dominika Dieskova, a senior from Oregon.
The loss could help Mavroleon become a better player with her coach’s help.
“”We really know what we need to be working on with her,”” Maes said.
