Bowden Feels the Pressure as New Kid : Tennis: Despite being in the Hard Court semifinals, she is more comfortable talking about her students. Her game can speak for itself.

Suella Bowden’s tennis credentials are lengthy and impressive. But the La Jolla resident tends to downplay her accomplishments, speaking more freely about opponents, her tennis students and her children.

Bowden, in her first year in the 50s age division, is seeded second in the USTA National Women’s 50 and 60 Hard Court Championships at the La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club through Sunday.

“I feel a lot of pressure because I’m the new kid on the block,” Bowden said. “It’s more fun if you’re not suppose to win and you pick off someone.”

Bowden is the only area player to advance to today’s singles semifinals. She defeated Annalee Hanson of Excelsior, Minn., 6-1, 6-2, in Friday’s quarterfinals. Patricia Kujawski of San Diego lost to San Pedro’s Charleen Hillebrand, 6-1, 6-1, in the 50s age division. In the 60s, Bev Winans of Newport Beach defeated La Jolla’s Liz Harper, 6-1, 6-1.

Bowden has been ranked in the top five nationally for the last few years and in 1988 was ranked first at 45s. She earned the top ranking in doubles three different times--winning national championships--but never has won a national singles title.

Today she will play Sinclair Bell of Santa Barbara, who defeated Julie Hayward of Newport Beach, 7-6, (8-6), 6-2. If Bowden wins, she will face the winner of the match between top-seeded Hillebrand and Palm Desert’s Pat Fraser.

Hillebrand defeated Bowden in February to win the women’s 50s national indoor championship in Chicago.

In the 50s doubles semifinals, Bowden and Dorothy Matthiessen of Pasadena defeated Lynn Little of Layfette and Claudia Giacomini of Sunnyvale, 6-3, 3-6, 6-4. Bowden and Matthiessen, who won a tournament a year ago in Arizona, will play Hayward and Frazer in today’s finals. Hayward and Frazer defeated Hillebrand and Los Angeles’ Mary Hill, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6 (7-4).

Bowden has been involved behind the scenes of the USTA as a volunteer for three years. She travels to different sites and acts as a liaison between the players and association officials. She said that through her volunteer work she can “give something back to tennis.”

“Senior tennis is wonderful,” Bowden said. “It’s great that we can compete in our age groups. It’s really important to us.”

Bowden started playing tennis at 33 when she was living in Florida. Her two sons, Gil and Charles Bolton, were busy with school and sports, so she filled her extra time on the courts. Bowden said she “got the (tennis) bug” and stayed with it.

Gil is now a sophomore at Florida, and Charles will graduate from Vanderbilt next week. Charles, a kicker on the Commodores’ football team, has a tryout with the Chargers in two weeks.

Like many senior players who begin the sport later in life, Bowden was an athlete before taking up tennis. In high school, Bowden was a gymnast, winning national titles twice, and said that the concentration, balance and footwork she perfected as a gymnast carries over in her tennis game.

Bowden moved to La Jolla 10 years ago and decided to stick with the sport. Three years ago she began teaching tennis at the Lomas Santa Fe Country Club.

In the 60s doubles, San Diego’s Jeanne Garrett and Nancy Neeld of Albuquerque, N.M., defeated Harper and Winans, 3-6, 6-2, 6-0. Garrett and Neeld will play Carmel’s Marjorie Kohler and Peggy Landtroop of Dallas.