The women’s tennis team played up to their potential at the first tournament of the season, playing two to four matches a day at the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational in Midland, Texas, from Friday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 18. Especially successful was the debut of sophomore Alejandra Granillo, who managed to win the singles title of the tournament by achieving the perfect 5-0 score in the final game against TCU’s Simon Parajova.
For Granillo, who has earned a doubles rank of No.14 on the Campbell/ITA preseason polls, it marked the first individual tournament in her collegiate career.
“I did not expect to win. I just went up there and did the best I could,” Granillo said. “I can’t say it was an easy victory. I played six matches in three days against the best tennis players from universities of different states. It was tough, but we all definitely gained valuable experience.”
Granillo started her way to the top by winning against Texas Tech’s Caroline Starck on Friday, Sept. 16. In the second round, Starck gave up any hope of making up for the missed points.
In the third round of the tournament, Granillo faced Slovakian player Patricia Veresova of the University of Nebraska, and, after a dominant first set, Granillo won the match handily (6-4, 6-2).
In one of the most intense matches of the tournament, the semifinal against TCU’s Stephanie Tan, Granillo won two of three sets (7-5, 2-6, 6-3). During all three hours of the match, both opponents were struggling for initiative on the court; however, after the exhausting psychological battle, Granillo managed to steal the match from the opponent.
“It was a very hard match,” Head Coach Gualberto Escudero said. “Tan was close to winning, but Ale was able to concentrate psychologically and finish the match successfully. It was important that she could stay with the opponent mentally throughout the match, because it was more of a psychological battle than physical.”
In the final match against Simon Parajova of TCU, Granillo proved that perfect technique is only half the battle. Despite her steel persistence, Parajova was forced to step back from the onslaught of extremely fast and powerful attacks. Granillo finished the last set when her opponent double faulted.
“I told the team before the tournament that at least one of the four scholarship athletes was going to win. I am glad that Ale could make it, because it sets a great example for the rest of her teammates,” Escudero said. “Since it was the first pre-season tournament, the majority of players had not set themselves up for the competitive mood, especially if they hadn’t competed over the summer. It was really helpful that Alejandra participated at the Universiade in Shenzhen, China this summer, because she was ready when she had to face opponents.”
Bringing her victory home to Malibu, Granillo is looking forward to preparations for future challenges. “I am very excited about this season,” she said. “Every day of intense practice is worth it. I am sure with all the hard workout our team does, point by point we are determined to succeed.”
Starting with the Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational, the Lady Waves have four tournaments ahead, which will prepare the team for their dual season. The dual season starts Jan. 25 with a home game against San Diego State University.
