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Malec's Run at NCAA Tournament Ends in Semifinals
UNLV star's career ends with tough NCAA semifinal loss.
May 26, 2000 MALIBU, Calif. - Katarina Malec finally played a three-set match she could not win. After being the only unseeded player to crash the final four, the UNLV senior was eliminated Thursday in the semifinals of the NCAA Women's Tennis Championships at the Ralphs-Strauss Tennis Stadium on the campus Pepperdine University. Malec, ranked 29th, finally bowed out of her first -- and last -- national tournament after sweeping a lower-ranked opponent and then upsetting three seeded players, all in three-set matches. However, the native of Warsaw, Poland, took on her greatest challenge of all today by playing top-seeded and top-ranked Marissa Irvin of Stanford, who is ranked among the world's top-100 tennis players. Malec came out swinging in the fist set while Irvin looked frustrated. UNLV's entry took advantage of seven Stanford double-faults to easily win the first set 6-3 and quiet the pro-Irvin crowd. The players were on serve at one game apiece in the second set when the entire match switched on a blown call by an official. Serving while down love-15, Irvin went for a cross-court winner that clearly landed out. Malec did not play the ball and waited for an out call that never came. The linesman re-confirmed the ball was in and a minute of controversy included the chair umpire backing up the call, which was greeted by grumblings from the crowd. Malec, usually a stoic competitor, was clearly shaken by the non-call. She eventually pushed the game to 30-40 but then lost four of the next 23 points to lose the set 6-1. Now fighting while pained by a stiff back that later called for an athletic trainer's attention during changeovers, Malec attempted to get back in the match. After falling behind 3-2, Malec blew three game points that would have broken Irvin and evened the third set at three apiece. After five deuces, Malec lost the game and did not have enough to recover as Irvin finally prevailed 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. "I had a lot of chances that I did not take advantage of," Malec said. "My back was really stiff the entire match and I am so sore right now. Playing two matches yesterday really wore me down. "The match turned around after she went up in the second set when they did not call the ball out. Something like that can really distract you when it happens on such an important point. You have to give (Irvin) credit. She really stepped up after that happened and that is why she is the top player in college tennis. She won all the important points in the final set." Irvin will play Friday for the title vs. teammate Laura Granville, who crushed Georgia's fifth-seeded Aarthi Venkatesan, 6-1, 6-0, in the other semifinal match. "It has been a tremendous year for UNLV tennis," Head Coach Kevin Cory said. "What a way to close it out with Katarina making the semifinals of the NCAA championships. She lost to a great player in Marissa Irvin but she competed very well and we are all proud of her." With her fist loss in three months to the day, Malec closed her final season with a record of 39-6. The wins total was a school record, besting the 37 victories by Marianne Vallin in 1994. The semifinal defeat broke a 19-match winning streak and dropped Malec's record vs. ranked opponents to 17-3. UNLV finished the tournament with a program-best record of 5-2, which included the school's first-ever doubles victory in Monday's first round. Cory said nothing but good can come from the UNLV contingent's impressive run with all of college tennis looking on.
"Look at the other players in the semifinals and you have people from Stanford, Stanford and Georgia. That is pretty good company to in. This tournament was great for Katarina, great for (doubles partner) Marianne Bakken, great for UNLV and great for the entire city of Las Vegas."
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