SOUTHERN SECTION TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS : Undefeated Bartelt Sprains Ankle, Is Forced to Default Match

Page Bartelt of Capistrano Valley, who was undefeated at the start of Thursday’s Southern Section girls’ tennis championships, sprained her left ankle and was forced to default her Round of 16 singles match.

She was trailing at the time, 4-2, in the first set against Westlake Harvard’s Lindsay Wasserman at the Lindborg Racquet Club. Bartelt, a senior, plans to continue her tennis career at Arizona State.

“I was slow getting warmed up in the match and the ankle just went over when I was at the net,” said Bartelt, who later was told by her family doctor to stay off her feet for a few days. “It was disappointing, but I still think I had a pretty good season.”

Bartelt, who won the South Coast League singles championship, said she thought the injury was partly due to her being tired from playing in the National Indoor 18-and-under tournament last week.

“I felt drained, physically and mentally,” she said.

In contrast, El Modena freshman Brandi Freudenberg looked strong throughout her matches. Freudenberg, who will meet top-seeded Nicole Hummel of San Marino in a semifinal match today, advanced by defeating Wasserman, 6-2, 6-7 (3-7), 6-3, in the quarterfinals.

Dana Hills’ Nicole Elliott also advanced, defeating St. Lucy’s Ritu Manjunath, 6-1, 6-3. Manjunath had upset Palos Verdes Peninsula’s Amber Basica in the day’s opening match.

Elliott, a senior, said she’s excited about playing Marlborough’s Ania Blezynski in today’s other semifinal. Elliott lost to Blezynski, the No. 2-seeded player, in last year’s Round of 16.

In doubles, two county teams reached the quarterfinals before losing. Capistrano Valley’s Lisa Shulga and Farrah Tierney were defeated by Marymount’s Brigid Joyce and Terry Hiete, 7-5, 2-6, 6-4, and Sonora’s Vumi Takei and Cathy Aagaard lost to Chino’s Bee Amesbutr and Beam Amesbutr, 6-2, 7-5.