Tennis advances with 5-1 win over Aztecs.

May 16, 1998

LAS VEGAS - One day after using doubles to mount a comeback, Southern California made sure it didn't even have to play past singles as it advanced with a 5-1 victory over San Diego State in the semifinals of the NCAA women's tennis regional played at UNLV Saturday.

On Friday, USC got by Washington 5-4 after sweeping three doubles points. Today, the second-seeded and 21st-ranked Trojans (13-10) got straight-set wins from Ditta Huber, Kara Warkentin, Veronika Safarova, Amber Basica and Karoline Bakalarova to clinch the team victory in singles play.

"We played a little better than they did," USC Head Coach Glenn Michibata said. "Conditions were difficult with the wind and maybe we adjusted better. The difference between winning and losing is minute even though the score didn't reflect that today."

The unseeded Aztecs, ranked 31st, ended their season at 16-6.

"I think (USC) handled the conditions better than we did," SDSU Head Coach Peter Mattera said. "The biggest difference is that we played tentatively on the big points and they didn't. In crunch time they played better than we did."

USC now moves on to Sunday's final vs. top-seeded Pepperdine, which defeated UNLV in the other semifinal.

"We played (Pepperdine) once this year and could have won it," Michibata said of his team's 5-4 loss to the Waves on March 17.

"It was decided on a doubles match and we had our chances. The pressure is definitely on them and we'll go in aggressive."

1998 NCAA WEST REGION WOMEN'S TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIP--SEMIFINALS
USC 5, SAN DIEGO STATE 1
At Fertitta Tennis Complex, Las Vegas

SINGLES-
1.	Ditta Huber (USC) def. Maggie Cole (SDSU)		7-5, 6-1	
2.	Veronika Safarova (USC) def. Dorota Wozniak (SDSU)	6-4, 6-2
3.	Sarah Donovan (SDSU) def. Jacqui Boyd (USC) 		6-3, 7-6
4.	Kara Warkentin (USC) def. Jeanette Bhaguandas (SDSU)	6-1, 6-2
5.	Karoline Bakalarova (USC) def. Whitney Wells (SDSU)	6-0, 6-4
6.	Amber Basica (USC) def. Merete Lindahl (SDSU)		6-2, 6-3

DOUBLES--
Cancelled