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1998 NCAA DIVISION I WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP
May 21-29
Courtney Tennis Center
University of Notre Dame
Championship Notes
Vanessa Webb is the first non-American to win the NCAA singles title. The Blue Devil junior hails from Toronto, Canada. Webb has a career record of 119-22.
Vanessa Webb becomes the first player from Duke University and the Atlantic Coast Conference to win the NCAA singles title. All 16 previous champions have come from either the Southeastern Conference or the Pac-10. The only ACC player to ever advance to an NCAA singles final was Cinda Gurney of North Carolina in 1993. She lost to Lisa Raymond (Florida) in the finals 6-3, 6-1.
In winning the singles title, Vanessa Webb did not drop a set in her six singles matches. Seven previous champions in the history of the tournament went through the draw without dropping a set: Lilia Osterloh (Stanford, 1997), Angela Lettiere (Georgia, 1994), Lisa Raymond (Florida, 1993 & 1992), Debbie Graham (Stanford, 1990), Shaun Stafford (Florida, 1989), Linda Gates (Stanford, 1985).
Prior to today 6-3, 6-4 loss to Vanessa Webb in the singles final, Ania Bleszynski had only dropped one set in her five previous singles matches. The Stanford senior finishes out her Cardinal career with a 107-42 mark and an all-time record of 11-3 in NCAA singles play. She finishes her season with a 36-8 ledger.
Heading into today's singles match, Vanessa Webb and Ania Bleszynski had played each other on two occasions with each player winning once. This was the first time the two had faced each other this season.
With their 7-5, 6-3 win over two-time defending champions Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas, California's Amanda Augustus and Amy Jensen are the first two tennis players from that school to win an NCAA title in either singles or doubles. They also are the first Pac-10 team to win a doubles crown since Keri Phebus and Susie Starett of UCLA in 1995.
Amanda Augustus and Amy Jensen entered today final as only the fifth unseeded doubles team in the 17-year history of the tournament to advance to the finals. The two are the first unseeded players in either singles or doubles to win an NCAA title. The duo finishes the season with a 28-7 mark. This was the first-ever meeting between the two doubles teams.
Dawn Buth and Stephanie Nickitas were looking to become the first three-time doubles champions (male or female) in NCAA tournament history. The Florida duo lost for just the first together in NCAA tournament competition they had won 15 consecutive matches (14 in the doubles competition and once during the team competition). Prior to this afternoon's straight-set loss, they had dropped just three sets in three years. They finish the season with a 28-4 record and end with a 91-8 career mark.
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