ALL-AMERICAN TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS : Graham Doesn’t Let Bee Sting Stop Her

NCAA singles champion Debbie Graham of Fountain Valley, playing her first match in more than a month, overcame a bee sting Thursday to beat Paloma Callentes of Mississippi, 6-0, 6-1, in the first round of the Riviera Women’s All-American Tennis Championships at Riviera Country Club.

“I was really surprised,” said Graham, a Stanford junior and the No. 1-seeded player at this tournament. “I’d thought I’d have first-round jitters since I hadn’t played in a tournament in a while. But I won the first game at love and wasn’t nervous at all.”

Leading 4-1 in the second set, Graham brushed at her hair, trying to get rid of what she thought was a leaf. Instead, it was a bee. But its sting did not faze her and she won the next three points and the following game to close out the match.

“I’ve only been stung once before, and that was when I was very little,” Graham said. “I’m allergic to lots of things, but was glad to find out that I wasn’t allergic to bee stings.”

Graham is the top-ranked player in the Volvo Tennis Collegiate Ratings. Last season, she was 42-4 and named College Player of the Year.

“Everyone thinks I have a lot of pressure on me, but I don’t feel it, said Graham, a graduate of Los Amigos High School.

“I’m in school, just trying to work on my game for the pros. As long as I’m working on and having success in my serve-and-volley game, I’m happy. I had a really good summer, so I have a lot of confidence. There’s no reason I should be nervous, but I’m not taking anyone lightly because they’re all great players.”

Graham will face UCLA’s Kimberly Po, a 6-0, 6-2 winner over Sarah Maynard of California, in a second-round match today. The Riviera Women’s All-American Tennis Championships is one of four tournaments composing the Collegiate Grand Slam.

In another first-round singles match involving a former Orange County player, Arizona’s Danielle Scott, a Corona del Mar High School graduate, lost to Stanford’s Heather Willens, 6-0, 6-1. Scott is ranked 23rd nationally.

In doubles, Graham and Sandra Birch defeated Shannan and Shawn McCarthy of Georgia, 6-4, 6-4.