San Diego Tennis : 15-Year-Old Needs 40 Minutes to Upset Jaeger

In the opening round of the Virginia Slims of San Diego tennis tournament, fourth-seeded Andrea Jaeger showed few signs of an eight-month layoff in her straight-set victory over Barbara Gerken.

In Wednesday night’s second-round of the $75,000 tournament at the San Diego Hilton Beach and Tennis Resort, however, Jaeger was taken apart by 15-year-old Melissa Gurney, 6-1, 6-0, in a match that lasted just 40 minutes.

“Melissa just played very well,” Jaeger said. “I didn’t really expect to win my first-round match. I’m going to give it at least four more tournaments to see if I can get it back.”

Meanwhile, Gurney will advance to the quarterfinals where she will face eighth-seeded Beth Herr, who defeated Lea Antonopolis, 6-4, 6-3, Wednesday.

Elsewhere Wednesday, top-seeded Wendy Turnbull, despite a poor day serving, downed Kris Kinney, 6-3, 7-5, to advance to the quarterfinals where she will meet Betsy Nagelsen, a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 winner over fifth-seeded Ann Henricksson.

“I’m very unhappy with my serve at the moment,” Turnbull said. “I think I’m trying to serve too well. I think I just need to slow it down, then once I get my rhythm then increase the pace.”

In another surprise Wednesday, Annabel Croft of Great Britain downed Barbara Jordan, 6-4, 6-3. Jordan had defeated second-seeded Gigi Fernandez on Tuesday. Croft will face sixth-seeded Ros Fairbank in the quarterfinals, after Fairbank eliminated San Diego State star Linda Howell, 6-4, 3-6, 6-3.

Meanwhile, Mary Lou Piatek advanced the quarterfinals with a 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win over seventh-seeded Robin White and will face 22-year-old Hu Na, who downed Eileen Tell, 6-2, 6-3, Wednesday.