Stanford’s Bryan Saves Pac-10 From Twin Falls

Stanford’s Bob Bryan was all that stood in the way of an oh-for-Camarillo day in Pacific 10 Conference singles play at the Ojai Valley tennis tournament.

By the time Bryan took the court Friday, his twin Mike had lost, 7-6, 6-3, to Eric Drew of Washington. Monique Allegre of Arizona, also of Camarillo, lost to Teryn Ashley of Stanford, 6-3, 6-0.

It didn’t look good when the top-seeded Bob Bryan fell behind, 4-1, against Vincent Allegre of UCLA.

“He hits the ball really deep and I was kind of hanging back and playing his game,” Bryan said. “I just had to stay calm and play my game.”

Bryan pressed the action and escaped with a 6-4, 6-3 victory, capped by an ace.

That brought a sigh of relief.

“You have to get through these matches,” he said.

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In one of the biggest upsets so far, senior Reka Cseresnyes of Arizona State defeated Julie Scott of Stanford, 6-4, 7-6, in the Pac-10 women’s singles.

Not only was Scott defending champion and top-seeded, but she defeated Cseresnyes in the quarterfinals at Ojai two previous years.

“I knew she was going to get a lot of balls back so I wanted to keep controlling the points,” Cseresnyes said. “It’s my last year so I wanted to give the most I have.”

Scott seemed frustrated for much of the match.

“She was pounding ground strokes from both sides,” she said. “I couldn’t come to the net because I couldn’t get any short balls.”

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Even if Ania Bleszynski of Stanford wins her semifinal match against Annica Cooper of UCLA today, she may already have experienced her favorite moment of the tournament.

It came after a first-round victory over Arizona’s Vicky Maes. Maes knew Bleszynski’s game slipped considerably last season.

As the two women shook hands after the match, Maes said: “It’s nice to see that you’re back.”

Said Bleszynski: “That was one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.”

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Travis Rettenmaier and Ryan Redondo appear to be on a collision course to meet in the boys’ 16 singles division final after both rolled over two opponents Friday to reach the semifinals.

Rettenmaier, a Newbury Park High freshman who lives in Camarillo, beat Quinn Borchard of Camarillo, 6-1, 6-4, and Michael Nguyen of Mission Viego, 6-4, 6-2.

Redondo of Weil Tennis Academy in Ojai, defeated Cameron Ball of Newport Beach, 6-3, 6-3, and Alex Menichini of Calabasas, 6-3, 6-2.

Rettenmaier was ranked No. 2 nationally in boys’ 14 singles last year and Redondo was ranked No. 18 in boys’ 16 singles.