COLLEGE TENNIS : Schlukebir Takes Advantage of Fast-Fading Phebus in Final

About the time Keri Phebus was expected to be warming up for her singles final at the National Collegiate Tennis Classic on Sunday, the UCLA junior was still deep in the third set of a doubles semifinal.

It was that kind of day for the tournament’s top-seeded player. Three hours of doubles, a short rest, then on to what she hoped would be a brief singles final against second-seeded Katie Schlukebir of Stanford.

The first set went easily enough: Phebus needed only 30 minutes to win, 6-0. But her opponent and a weekend of three-a-day matches caught up with Phebus. Schlukebir outlasted a lagging Phebus to win, 0-6, 7-6 (7-4), 6-3. It was the Cardinal sophomore’s first collegiate title.

On a cool desert afternoon at the Westin Mission Hills Resort, Phebus became overheated in the second set and said she grew dizzy and had trouble concentrating, especially when tossing the ball while serving. Nevertheless, Phebus forged a 5-2 lead in the second set. Schlukebir broke in the ninth game and appeared to gain confidence with each game.

Embarrassment was the best motivation.

“I lost the first set so quickly, it seemed like five minutes,” Schlukebir said. “I just wanted to win a point. I was unfocused in the first set, thinking about too many things. Once I won the second set, I knew I could win the third.”

Phebus sat down on the court after the second set tiebreaker and UCLA assistant coach Henry Hines called for a three-minute injury timeout. Although disoriented, Phebus continued. She was game in the third set but could muster little energy against a hard-hitting Schlukebir.

Phebus was left, after nearly 5 1/2 hours of tennis, to prepare for the doubles final, which she lost, with Susie Starrett to California’s Pam Nelson and Keristen Alley, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

“It’s been a long week,” Phebus said. “It took its toll. But I’ve never quit a match. I’ll stay out there until I have to leave on a stretcher.”

Earlier, the men’s singles final was an intra-USC affair. Third-seeded Brett Hansen beat teammate Adam Peterson, 6-1, 6-3.

Hansen, a senior, jumped all over Peterson after the junior lost his serve in the second game of the first set. Hansen’s experience prevailed and he won the match in 72 minutes.