May 23, 2000
MALIBU, Calif. - UNLV senior Katarina Malec fought off the effects of a four-hour rain delay and rallied to defeat Clemson's Carmina Giraldo to move into the third round at the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships on the campus of Pepperdine University Tuesday.
With her 17th-straight win, Malec (37-5) tied the UNLV single-season victory record, which was set by Marianne Vallin in 1994. She also joined Vallin as the only All-Americans in school history by advancing to the round of 16.
Malec, ranked 29th, jumped out to a 2-0 lead but Giraldo, ranked 26th, went on to take the first set 6-4. It was the first set Malec lost since February 25.
Malec, who played in a soaked uniform caused by the post-rain humidity, took charge in the second set, however, and evened things with a 6-2 win. In the deciding set, Malec quickly broke Giraldo and then failed on seven game points before pulling ahead a break at 2-0. With Giraldo visibly frustrated, Malec then cruised to a 4-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory.
Malec, a native of Warsaw, Poland, said she knew could wear out her opponent in a match that lasted two-and-half hours.
"I wasn't warmed up as much as I should have been after the delay and my grip was slipping a lot in the humidity," Malec said. "I became more aggressive in the second set because I knew I was in better condition (than Giraldo). I am happy that all of my hard work getting in shape for this tournament is paying off because I know I am capable of winning the long matches. I showed my toughness today and put my heart out there because every match can be the last of my career. This is my last chance."
UNLV Head Coach Kevin Cory agreed that his team captain could outlast almost anyone in the country.
"Katarina was nervous at first and Giraldo played a great first set," Cory said. "It came down to conditioning. When people see Katarina's size (5-11), they try to run her off of the court and use a lot of drop shots. They don't realize that she is in great shape and has great hands, so that plan won't work."
With the win, Malec advanced farther than any woman in UNLV history. Vallin, who was a three-time All-American at the school, never won more than one match at the national tournament. Players seeded in the top 16, who are in the top 20 of the final rankings or win two matches at the NCAA tournament earn All-America status.
"Katarina's goal all year was to become an All-American and for her to reach that goal by playing her way into the honor is significant," Cory said. "We wanted to come here and represent UNLV and Las Vegas well and we have done that in a big way."
Because of the rain delay, the third round of singles was moved to Wednesday when Malec will face sixth-seeded Alison Bradshaw of Arizona State, who swept Ivona Mihailova of Mississippi, 6-0, 6-1.
"It will really help Katarina that she didn't have to play another singles match today after such a grueling win," Cory said. "Bradshaw is a great, aggressive opponent who is playing the best tennis of her career but I think Katarina's solid, steady game can give her a good test. When you get to this point in the tournament, anybody can beat anybody."
