Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, August 1, 1993 TAG: 9308010143
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: SCOTT BLANCHARD STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
A week ago, Vento arrived in Roanoke for the $10,000 USTA Women's Circuit of Roanoke feeling ill - "almost laryngitis," she said. Weakened, she lost in the qualifying finals, but as the highest-ranked loser, she was placed in the main draw.
By that time, the antibiotics had worked, and Vento advanced to Saturday's singles semifinals. Today, she'll play for the tournament championship because 16-year-old Horn defaulted after aggravating a foot that she injured in her quarterfinal match.
"I knew she was hurting," Vento said. "I was telling myself to make her run a little bit."
It's the second time in the past two years that an injury has caused a late-tournament match to end in default. Last year, Tatiana Ignatieva withdrew from the singles final.
Vento will face Michigan native Anne Miller, the fifth seed, at 1 p.m. today at Hunting Hills Country Club. It will be Vento's ninth match of the tournament. Miller ousted South Africa's Mareze Joubert 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 on Saturday evening before a crowd of about 150.
In doubles, the third-seeded team of Yoshiko Sasano and Ai Sugiyama of Japan beat second-seeded Varalee Sureephong of the United States and Horn, playing despite her problems earlier in the day, 6-2, 7-5. Sasano and Sugiyama will meet the winner of Saturday night's match between the teams of Jackie Moe/Kelly Pace and Joubert/Vanessa Webb.
Vento sailed through the first set 6-0. When she went ahead 3-2 in the second set, Horn cried during the changeover as she was treated by a trainer. Still sniffling when she took the court again, she allowed Vento only a point as she tied the set. Then, crying again at the start of the seventh game, Horn survived five deuces to win when Vento pulled a backhand wide.
Instead of taking the court after the changeover, Horn stood and offered Vento her hand.
"I was going to give it everything until I couldn't go anymore," said Horn, who was playing her eighth match since qualifying began July 25. "She was moving me more and more over the court. It was getting worse and worse. I wasn't prepared to carry on and injure myself more."
Vento, a 19-year-old from Venezuela, became the first "lucky loser" to reach the singles final in the Roanoke tournament's six-year history. After the first game of the second set Saturday, she had won 19 of her last 22 games.
But she began missing more ground strokes while trying to ignore Horn's battle with her right foot, which was injured when she rolled her ankle during Friday's match against Julie Pullin.
"I was trying not to think about it, but sometimes it gets in your way," Vento said.
Horn's play was more consistent in the second set despite her injury, but the South African couldn't come back after being blanked in the first set.
"I wasn't playing tennis the last three games," she said. "I didn't think about my injury, I just hit every ball back. It wasn't a good match at all, I didn't think."
Nor did Vento claim dominance after the first set.
"I don't think the score is a big deal. The points were very good," she said. "I just tried to move her around and put the ball in play. That's exactly what I was doing in the second set."
Except she made more mistakes, helping Horn get back into it. Vento, who uses good timing, a short stroke and a fondness for sharp angles, will have to be accurate today to beat Miller.
Miller struggled with inconsistent ground strokes and a vulnerable second serve until the chair umpire called the score incorrectly on consecutive points in third set, which was tied 1-1.
"I finally started laughing, for once in the match," said Miller, who lost that game and her serve but won the next five to advance.
Joubert, after what she thought was a bad line call in the fourth game of the last set, became increasingly frustrated. Miller, meanwhile, missed only one first serve in her last two service games - and she found the range with her powerful forehand.
"Every time I served, I kind of held my breath," Miller said.
"[But] as I got up [in the match], I got more confidence. I actually started playing better once I started to go for it."
by CNB