Phebus Gets Momentum, Wins Title : Tennis: UCLA singles standout beats Arizona’s Maes in the final of the Southern California Regional women’s tennis tournament.

UCLA’s Keri Phebus was tired and it looked as though she might give in, but she dug deep and found her second wind, holding on to capture the Rolex-ITA Southern California Regional women’s tennis title Sunday at UC Irvine.

Phebus, top-seeded, defeated No. 2 Vicky Maes of Arizona, 6-4, 4-6, 6-3.

After playing eight sets of tennis on Saturday, including two rounds of doubles, Phebus had a hard time keeping her legs moving in the finals.

“After yesterday, I was really tired,” Phebus said. “It’s hard, but I kind of got my second wind. When it gets to be the finals you have to hang in.”

Phebus’ weariness showed in her service game, where she double faulted 21 times, 10 of those coming in the first set of the three-hour match.

“When I get tired my legs won’t bend,” Phebus said. “And when my legs don’t bend I really struggle with my serves. That is something I have to work on, getting stronger in my legs.”

Early in the final set, Phebus looked as if she might have thrown in the towel. Several times she yelled, at no one in particular, “I have nothing left.” Maes took advantage, breaking her serve to take a 2-1 lead.

Phebus, from Corona del Mar, then slowly returned to the court with a towel over her head. With the hometown crowd rallying behind her, she came out and quickly broke Maes’ serve to tie it, 2-2, and then held her serve with two shots at the net to go up 3-2.

With the momentum swinging her way, Phebus refused to give up as she fell behind 0-30. Maes, who was serving, failed to put the game away at 40-15, and Phebus came battling back. Fighting through three deuces, Phebus won the game on a shot down the right sideline and took a 4-2 advantage.

Phebus again walked slowly onto the court to serve. She fell behind again, this time 0-40. Moving into the net, Phebus put away four straight shots to take the advantage. After playing to four deuces, Phebus dropped a shot that skimmed over the net. Maes charged up and made the return, but Phebus popped it over her head for the game and a 5-2 lead.

This time, Phebus jogged back onto the court, knowing she had the title in reach. Maes held serve on four straight points, but Phebus, after double-faulting her first serve, put the match away on a long shot by Maes.

“You have to forget about how you feel. Last night I was so tired and my legs were so sore, but this is the finals,” Phebus said.

In the first set, both players broke the other’s serve, but Phebus was able to hold service once, taking a 4-3 lead. After five set points in the 10th game, Phebus finally broke Maes for a 1-0 set lead.

In the second set with both playing a baseline game, Maes took an early 3-1 lead. Phebus came back to tie it, 3-3, winning only one more game as Maes tied the sets, 1-1.

Notes

In the doubles final, Isabela Petrov and Angela Lawrence of Pepperdine defeated Stephanie Landsdorp and Katy Propstra of Arizona State, 2-6, 7-5, 6-0.