Mueller, Adcock Meet in Over-40 Hardcourt Finals in La Jolla

Barbara Mueller had seen this act from Charleen Hillebrand before.

The strange angles, the stoicism, the resiliency, the tenacity, the lethal backhand . . . the whole package. After all, she had played Hillebrand four times--winning two and losing two--before Saturday’s semifinal meeting at the women’s 40-and-over National Hardcourt Championships at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club.

Every Hillebrand trait held true to form Saturday, except for one--the lethal backhand.

And in the end, the backhand breakdown cost fourth-seeded Hillebrand (San Pedro) the match and gave top-seeded Mueller a hard-earned 7-5, 6-4 victory.

Mueller (Tempe, Ariz.) will meet second-seeded Stephanie Adcock (Los Gatos), who defeated third-seeded Judie Louie (Corona del Mar), 2-6, 6-4, 6-0, in today’s 9 a.m. final.

Mueller fell behind early, 5-3 in the first set, as she had trouble finding her serving rhythm. But after being broken once and surviving two set points, Mueller fought her way back to 5-5 by attacking Hillebrand’s backhand.

She then withstood two game points to hold serve in the 11th game and finally broke Hillebrand again to close out the set.

“Her strength is usually her backhand, but (Saturday) her forehand down the line was wicked,” said Mueller, ranked 11th nationally. “Somehow I got her to make some errors on the backhand.”

In the second set, Mueller attacked Hillebrand’s second serve and forced four breaks in service.

“I knew if I could come to the net on her serve and keep my first serve in, I could do it,” she said. “But I still didn’t feel safe. She’s one of the most mentally tough players on the tour. She will never give up.”

Mueller, who won the 40 and 45’s national grass court titles this year, is looking for her first hardcourt championship in 1989, a No. 1 national ranking and her second La Jolla Hardcourt title. She also won the event in 1985.

Hillebrand, whose victories against Mueller had come on clay, said the match was hers for the taking. “I didn’t play anywhere near as well as I did Friday (quarterfinals), but I really felt I played the better first set,” said Hillebrand, who won the La Jolla Hardcourts as a 40-year-old nine years ago. “I just didn’t make the shots I had to. Nothing about her game surprised me.”

Adcock, her finals opponent, struggled early with her serve but eventually got it untracked to take control of the match. After the second set, Adcock said she received a bit of help from an unexpected source.

“I ate an apple, and that seemed to give me a lot of energy,” she said. “After that, I was ready to go.”

Adcock, who has never played Mueller, will be searching for her first victory in a national tournament. Twice in the 35’s, she reached the finals in grass court tournaments. “If I’m ever going to win one, this would be it,” she said. “Hardcourts is my surface, and I’m young for the age group.”

She turned 40 on Wednesday.