Phebus skids past Nelson into Pacific-10 title

Published: Monday, May 1, 1995

After injuring knee

in moped accident,

Phebus wins in Ojai

By Chris Isidro

Loose gravel and a moped -- a bad combination. Rubbing alcohol and an open wound -- even worse. UCLA's Keri Phebus and the Pac-10 Singles Championship -- now that's better.

Second ranked Phebus found the right match in Ojai on Sunday - defeating No. 2 seed Pam Nelson of California 6-0, 6-4 for her second collegiate title. The Bruin junior finished strong after enduring a tough week on and off the court.

"Today was the first day my knee felt good," Phebus said. "It was the first time I wasn't tentative about bending it. I struggled with it all week with faith that it would get better."

The road to the title got bumpy even before Phebus hit the courts. On Tuesday, the Bruin junior took a fall on the freshly paved asphalt of Hilgard Ave. after her moped skidded on some loose rocks.

Phebus didn't aid the healing process any by applying a heavy dose of rubbing alcohol over the deep gash on her right knee. Soon after tipping the bottle, Phebus realized her mistake.

"I got the rubbing alcohol and kept pouring it on my knee," Phebus said. "I never felt so much pain."

With stitches on her right elbow and knee, the right-handed Phebus survived the opening rounds on Thursday. But a decision needed to be made as to whether Phebus should continue considering her discomfort and lack of mobility on the court.

"Keri is going to be one of the top three seeds at nationals," UCLA head coach Bill Zaima said on Thursday. "We don't want to jeopardize her performance at nationals."

Phebus pressed forward and was taken to the limit the next two rounds. USC's Nicole London troubled Phebus again at Ojai. In their last meeting, London took the top seed at Ojai to a third-set tiebreak. This time, Phebus dropped the first set before taking care of the underdog 5-7, 6-2, 6-3.

Stanford's Ania Bleszynski tested every bit of Phebus's mettle in the semifinals. Hailing from nearby Woodland Hills, the Cardinal freshman showed why she was the top juniors player in the country, riding her vicious forehand to a 4-2 lead in the third set.

"Ania played very well on Saturday," Zaima said. "But I told Keri that she was only a freshman and she had to pay her dues."

Phebus worked hard to hold serve. Her ensuing break shattered Bleszynski's confidence and the Bruin notched a 6-3, 3-6, 6-4 win.

A weekend's worth of prayers and some help from the trainer finally paid off for Phebus in the finals. The UCLA netter felt healthy and saved her best tennis for the end.

"I think our student trainer David Ruiz did a good job taking care of Phebus over at Ojai," Zaima said. "There was no skin on her knee and it's just starting to grow back."

"It gives me a lot of confidence to win a tournament knowing that I'm not at full strength," Phebus added. "And the tough matches are good mental preparation for the nationals."

The Pac-10 champion now has a 46-4 record and enters the NCAA's next week with a 22-match winning streak. Phebus will not have to do much to get ready for nationals -- except get used to a lot more walking.

"No scooters, especially if Bill has anything to say about it."