Stevenson Stepping Up

Alexandra Stevenson’s arrival on the women’s pro tennis scene was similar to her forehand. Explosive.

She was a teenager from San Diego who had played a lot of junior tournaments in the Southland and competed a lot against the Williams sisters. She was tall, strong and athletic, but when she turned pro in June of 1999, at 18 years old, there was no expectation of what would come next.

What did was a double stunner.

First, she blasted her way into the semifinals of Wimbledon. Then, in the midst of her run, the story broke that her father, whom she never knew and with whom she never had a relationship, was pro basketball great Julius Erving. Her mother, Samantha, had been a freelance writer in the East during the golden years of Dr. J.

But fame and success went away as quickly as it came for Alexandra, who drifted in the tour rankings between No. 50 and 100 the last two years. She was able to enter a number of events through wild cards and exemptions, but those were running out.

Now, at 21, with a game that still is built around power from her serve and the baseline but seems to have incorporated elements of poise and control, Stevenson is beginning to make a move.

Sunday, she pounded her way into the round of 16 in the Pacific Life Open, and did so against a quality opponent. Her 6-4, 0-6, 6-4 victory over Russia’s Elena Dementieva, a former U.S. Open semifinalist who was seeded eighth here, was among her better results and put her against another quality opponent, No. 10 Amanda Coetzer of South Africa, in the next round.

“The last time I played [Dementieva], I didn’t close out the match,” said Stevenson, referring to an October defeat in Moscow. “This time, I was like, ‘You’re closing it out, you’re not walking away, losing your serve.’ I’m happy I did that.”

She won the first set with two aces at 5-4 and deuce. The first one was 112 mph, the second 109.

“I think the serve is the key,” she said. “Just like Sampras, his serve is the key.”

With top-seeded Kim Clijsters of Belgium already out of the event, No. 2 Martina Hingis of Switzerland took on her familiar role of tournament favorite--she was No. 1 on the women’s tour for 209 weeks--with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Russian Elena Likhovtseva, a dangerous veteran who has hovered in the top 25 for the last six years and who has won more than $2 million in prize money. Hingis said she has a sore wrist, but it is nothing that should keep her from continuing here.

Also advancing on a warm and sunny day in the desert were third-seeded Justine Henin of Belgium, 6-3, 6-0, over Adriana Serra Zanetti of Italy, and ninth-seeded Aranxta Sanchez-Vicario of Spain, a 6-4, 6-4 winner over Daja Bedanova of the Czech Republic.

Nathalie Dechy of France, who ousted top-seeded Clijsters, was in turn upset by Anastasia Myskina of Russia, 7-6 (2), 7-5.

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The men’s portion of the Pacific Life event will begin today. Two of the top entries were in finals Sunday. At Scottsdale, Ariz., Andre Agassi took his 50th title; and at Delray Beach, Fla., Andy Roddick lost a three-setter, struggling against former UCLA star Davide Sanguinette. Roddick complained of illness afterward, raising the possibility that he may withdraw here.

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Featured Matches

STARTING AT 10 A.M.

* Cara Black, Zimbabwe, vs. Martina Hingis, Switzerland

* Anna Smashnova, Israel, vs. Meghann Shaughnessy

* Alexandra Stevenson vs. Amanda Coetzer, South Africa

STARTING AT 6:30 P.M.

* Monica Seles vs. Ai Sugiyama, Japan