TENNIS SAN DIEGO TOURNAMENT : Fairbank-Nideffer Finally Falters

The psychological see-saw Ros Fairbank-Nideffer of Escondido has been riding all week tottered back and forth, then finally knocked her off Thursday.

The beneficiary was Barbara Paulus, and the Austrian went on to defeat Fairbank-Nideffer, 7-5, 6-3, in a quarterfinal of the $225,000 Great American Bank Tennis Tournament at the San Diego Tennis & Racquet Club.

It has been an suspenseful week for Fairbank-Nideffer. One day, she was psyched to play a first-round match against Martina Navratilova--before Navratilova withdrew because of an ankle injury--and the next day, she orchestrated a comeback victory against hometown rival Angelica Gavaldon.

Less than 24 hours later, she fell apart against Paulus, playing what she said was a match she wouldn’t have paid to see.

“I felt I could get back (in it) because the match had been so awful,” Fairbank-Nideffer said. “At that point, I found myself thinking, ‘This is terrible. I wouldn’t pay a dime to be watching this match.’ Both of us were making terrible errors.”

Fairbank-Nideffer double-faulted three consecutive times to close out the match.

Paulus agreed that it wasn’t tennis at its best.

“I played well, but I’ve had many better matches,” she said.

In the featured evening match, fourth-seeded Manuela Maleeva of Bulgaria defeated Ann Grossman, 7-5, 6-1.

“Basically, I ran out of gas. I think that’s what it came down to,” said Grossman, who played three consecutive days. “If I had a day off, I definitely would have been stronger in the second set.”

Earlier, third-seeded Zina Garrison of Houston routed Nathalie Herreman of France, 6-2, 6-1.

Joining semifinalists Maleeva-Fragniere and Paulus, who will play Saturday, and quarterfinalist Garrison are Terry Phelps, Nathalie Tauziat of France and top-seeded Steffi Graf.

“I really think I have good chances,” Maleeva said. “I think because I’m aggressive, I’ve been hitting the ball really well, I’m confident. I’m happy with the way I’m playing all week.”

Maleeva’s sister, Katerina Maleeva, might have some advice after playing and losing to Graf in the final of the Canadian Open Sunday in Montreal.

“We haven’t talked yet about (a possible meeting with Graf),” she said. “We’ve talked about her match, we always talk, but I’m sure she’ll give me some advice.”

Tennis Notes

Terry Phelps, who can be seen here at the pool as often as on the tennis courts, meets Zina Garrison in tonight’s featured match. An avid football fan and friend of quarterback Tony Eason of the New York Jets, Phelps has snagged tickets for Saturday night’s San Diego Charger-Dallas Cowboy game. The semifinals are scheduled for 12:30 p.m. and 6:30 Saturday.