Gavaldon’s Open Bid Ends in Quarterfinals

Coronado’s Angelica Gavaldon saw her amazing Australian Open end Tuesday in the quarterfinals as she fell to West Germany’s Claudia Porwik, 6-4, 6-3.

Gavaldon, a 16-year-old amateur from Our Lady of Peace High School in San Diego, blamed the loss on poor strategy and a lack of concentration.

“I think she played really well and smart,” Gavaldon said. “I should have attacked a little more. I tried to over hit and it was too windy. The ball was blowing all over. I also could have concentrated a little more.”

Earlier in the tournament, Gavaldon upset Hana Mandlikova, the seventh-seeded player and two-time Australian Open champion, and 15th-seeded Gigi Fernandez.

“(Porwik) didn’t come in like Gigi and Hana,” Gavaldon said. “She stayed on the baseline and played good with the wind. When I would touch the ball, it seems like it would go into the crowd. But that’s not an excuse, because it was windy all week.

“I think everybody has a bad day, this was mine. My first serves weren’t going in. I really wanted to win badly, it just didn’t happen for me.”

Porwik, ranked 75th, reached the semifinals in a Grand Slam event for the first time.

Gavaldon entered the tournament ranked 192nd, but will end it ranked 95th.

Gavaldon’s incredible run began a week ago Monday with a first-round defeat of Upland’s Laxmi Pouri, 6-3, 6-3. She then beat Alexia Dechaume of France, 6-4, 4-6, 7-5 in the second round.

“I’m pleased with what I did, but I’m disappointed because I think I’m good enough to beat these players,” she said. “I had an opportunity here, but I should have taken more advantage of it.

“I’m very pleased, but not surprised. I feel I’m ready to play at this level. I gained a lot of confidence and experience.”

Gavaldon had planned to play in a tournament in New Zealand next week, but, instead, will return to San Diego for some rest and a reevaluation of her future.

Originally, Gavaldon had said she would remain an amateur until she reached the top 100. But after her success in Australia, she said her plans may be changing.

“I have some decisions to make,” she said. “I’m going to think about turning pro.”

As an amateur, Gavaldon can claim expenses, but won’t collect the $24,000 prize for reaching the quarterfinals.

Gavaldon’s next scheduled tournament will be in Indian Wells at the Lipton International on Feb. 26.

* Meanwhile, neither Boris Becker nor Steffi Graf nor Zina Garrison had an easy time in the heat.

Becker had to go five sets. Graf nearly lost a set for the first time in the tournament.

Only Garrison wilted.

The third-seeded woman fell to Mary Joe Fernandez, 1-6, 6-2, 8-6, in the quarterfinals at the National Tennis Center, where the temperature on court was said to be well above 100 degrees.

“It’s pretty frustrating. I don’t understand it sometimes,” said Garrison, who appeared to have a clear run to the final after an injury forced No. 2 Gabriela Sabatini to withdraw.

Garrison was serving for the match at 5-4 and 6-5 in the third set, but her serve was broken each time and then broken again at love when the sixth-seeded Fernandez won the match.

“I work very hard, but I never seem able to make my breaks,” said Garrison, a Houston native who was a semifinalist at last year’s U.S. Open. “Until I do, I don’t deserve to win. (This was) a match I think I lost. It was in my hands and I didn’t take advantage of it. More than anything, I wanted to win. Sometimes you want to win too bad.”

Meanwhile, Graf had her toughest challenge of the tournament before turning back Patty Fendick of Sacramento, 6-3, 7-5. That tied Graf’s career-best winning streak with a 46th consecutive victory.

Fendick had a 5-2 lead and a set point on Graf’s serve in the second set, but Graf held and allowed Fendick only four points in the next four games to wrap up the match.

Becker survived a tougher test. Down a service break in the third set to Miloslav Mecir of Czechoslovakia, Becker stormed back to win, 4-6, 6-7 (8-6), 6-4, 6-1, 6-1, and reach the quarterfinals against Mats Wilander.