DOUBLE TROUBLE

They complement one another the way the best doubles teams do. Then they playfully squirt water on each other the way the best of friends do.

Even ones as unlikely as Tiffany Brymer and Kara Warkentin of USC.

Brymer, a freshman from Rio Mesa High, is equal parts anguish and glee, experiencing more ups and downs in a match than Magic Mountain offers in a day. She has a silver stud in her tongue, a happy face engraved on her racquet and a stroke packing the power of a windmill.

Warkentin, a senior from San Marcos High, is as steady and mature as a librarian, an overachiever who came to USC as a walk-on and will leave as the No. 1 player. She easily fits the role of big sister to Brymer because she is used to it--her brother Mark is a sophomore swimmer at USC and her brother Paul is a San Marcos senior and one of the top junior players in Southern California.

Yin and yang. Salt and pepper. And still alive in the Ojai tournament after winning a Pacific 10 Conference semifinal match against Allison Bradshaw and Celena McCoury of Arizona State, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, Saturday at Libbey Park.

Warkentin and Brymer, seeded No. 13, will face No. 1-seeded Lindsay Blau and Michelle Gough of Arizona today at 12:30.

“We split two matches with them this year,” Warkentin said. “I think we’ll do fine.”

Repeated service breaks were key to the semifinal victory. Warkentin was relentless on volleys and Brymer supplied the knockout blow time and again.

Teamwork extended to their banter between points. Brymer clenched her fist and yelled, “C’mon,” after Trojan points and let loose longer diatribes after misses.

“Don’t be so tight, you little chicken,” she screamed at herself after a double fault.

“Tiffany, you are so confused in the head,” she exclaimed after getting tied up on a volley.

Warkentin, veteran of more than 100 college doubles matches, played psychiatrist, calming Brymer and leading by example.

It’s been that way since Coach Richard Gallien teamed them up.

“Tiffany needed stability and Kara needed a spark,” Gallien said. “There is a strong mutual respect between them. They are quite a good combination.”

Winning a Pac-10 title would be a special treat. Both players have been regulars at Ojai since the age of 14.

Brymer, girls’ 18 doubles champion last year, also is from a family of athletes. Her brother Chris is a former USC lineman playing professional football in Europe and her sister Victoria advanced to the semifinals of the girls’ 14 division at Ojai.

With long arms, a powerful stroke and the exuberance of a colt, Brymer, who lost only one set as a Rio Mesa senior, has great potential.

“She is an unpolished product with a boatload of talent,” Gallien said. “She has the ability to go on tour, especially in doubles.”

Brymer, whose matches are called “Brym Time,” by her teammates, will probably be playing long after her partner’s career is over. But a part of Warkentin will always be with her.

“We both love Ojai, but I would love to win because of [Warkentin],” Brymer said. “She is a senior and she is good enough. She’s taught me so much. I want to do it for her.”