The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, April 30, 1987, Image 16

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Page 16/The Battalion/Thursday, April 30,1987
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303 W. UNIVERSITY • 846-1616
A&M’s Labuschagne hopes to use
college as springboard to pros
By Anthony Wilson
Reporter
Everyone loves to see an under
dog get his chance — especially in
the world of sports.
What real sports fan didn’t root
for the Chicago Cubs during their
run to/the nennanf in 1984? Who
run to' the pennant in 1984? Who
couldn’t enjoy Georgetown’s defeat
at the hands of Villanova in 1985?
And did anyone truly want to see
Marvelous Marvin Hagler rip Sugar
Ray Leonard’s head off?
Kim Labuschagne, Texas A&M’s
top-ranked woman tennis player,
had her chance to become one of
those underdogs April 21 in the Vir-
f inia Slims tournament in Houston.
he was scheduled to play doubles
against Martina Navratilova, the
world’s top woman player, and
Kathy Jordan. However, the chance
slipped through her fingers. Actu
ally, it slipped out of Andrea Jaeg
er’s shoulder.
Jaeger, Labuschagne’s doubles
partner, had to withdraw from the
tournament because of bursitis in
her shoulder.
“I was very disappointed,” Labus
chagne said. “It was weird because
that morning she was supposed to
play a singles match at 11 o’clock on
center court.
“There was a guy who introduced
the players as they came on the
court. I was practicing a few courts
down. I heard him introducing the
courts and he said something about
‘Substitution — Andrea Jaeger.’ So
the tournament director came out
and he told me that she pulled out of
singles and doubles. Andrea came
out later and said how sorry she
was.”
Labuschagne, a native of South
Africa, said her feeling of excite
ment about playing against Navrati
lova was preceded by panic.
“We won our first round match
and I looked ahead to see who we
would play,” Labuschagne said in
her British accent. “When I saw that
(they would be playing against Nav
ratilova), I was just flabbergasted.
First of all, I was very nervous be
cause I thought, ‘Oh God, Martina!’
“But then I thought, ‘You know, if
we’re going to lose in the second
round, we might as well play the best
player in the world.’ So I was getting
really excited. Then right before we
played, I was used to the idea of
playing her. That’s why I was so dis
appointed. If it had been the day be
fore, it would have been, ‘Ah, thank
heaven. Relief!’ I was really excited
to play her, just to say, ‘I played Mar
tina.’ ”
Her pairing with Jaeger was
something of a fluke, the junior said.
“We’re both sponsored by Wilson
rackets, one of the sponsors of the
tournament,” Labuschagne said.
“They were given a wildcard into the
tournament so they could give it to
any of the players who play with Wil
son. Andrea had asked for a partner
so the Wilson lady, who sends me my
rackets, called Coach (Bobby Klei-
necke) in Austin and asked if I was
interested in playing with Andrea.
“I had seen Andrea on TV and
playing in tournaments in South Af
rica. She was a star so it was kind of a
big thing.”
Last Friday and Saturday, Labus-
Batulionfilt
-Jorc
Texas A&M’s No. 1 singles player Kim Lasbuschagne recently com
peted in the Virginia Slims tournament in Houston. The junior from
South Africa hopes to play on the pro tour someday. She says she
also plans to compete in the U.S. Open doubles in August
chagne played in the Southwest
Conference tournament. She ad
vanced to the semifinal round in No.
1 singles before losing to eventual
champion Beverly Bowes of Texas
6-2, 6-2.
“In my first match, I was a little
tentative,” she said. “I didn’t go in as
aggressively as I wanted to. And
then I think it carried over in my
match against Bowes. I wasn’t really
nervous. I was just tentative. I didn't
play to win. I think maybe I was kind
of looking into the future instead of
taking it step by step.”
Labuschagne is hoping to be in
vited to the NCAA tournament
within the week. The tournament
will be May 14-22. Labuschagne
played doubles in the tournament in
1986 and lost in the first round.
Labuschagne said she expects a lot
more from herself next year.
“Basically next year, I want to win
conference in the number one posi
tion, make All-American, make the
finals of the NCAA or win the tour
nament and get ranked in the top
three in the nation,” she said.
This summer Labuschagne has
entered several professional tourna
ments to improve her skills and
world ranking. College players are
allowed to play in professional tour
naments but are not allowed to col
lect any money except for expenses.
Players have to play in three pro
tournaments before they are
ranked. Labuschagne has played in
two tournaments, advancing to the
quarterfinals in one. To be
for major tournaments, such
U.S. Open, players have to
ranking of at least 150.
“With the
".W
point average
right now, I should berankedii
top 200 at least,” she said,
doubles ranking, I think
about 80 plus points so I should
ranked in the top 100 in doubles
far as professionals, my first t
lev get in the top 50 in the world
Labuschagne said she is cage
begin playing with the pros.
‘Right now, 1 feel I’mreadv.’
said. “T he only thing 1 needu
used to is playing in front of pal 11"^“^'
and that type of competidvea
From being in the Virginia Sin
noticed it’s vastly different froi
lege tournaments. It’s just all
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However, the difference
players’ abilities from college
are not that great, Labuschagne
“It’s more or less the same,
said. “The level of college tennt
top 10 teams, we played this
ter was very similar to profess
tennis, except for the top
in the world. They’re in a
their own.”
Although labuschagne said
expects to return to A&Mnext'i
she said she might decide
pro.
“If I make it to the semifimi
the U.S. Open, obviously
think I’ll come back,” she said
TM The Flying Tomato Biothers & The Flying Tomato are registered trademarks 1987 Flying Tomato tnc.
Rockets know series
far from being over
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston
veteran Cedric Maxwell is telling
his teammates that a loss and a
scare should convince the Rockets
that Portland won’t fold when the
two teams meet today in the
fourth game of their NBA play
off series.
“When you get them down by
25 or 30 points you tend to think
they’ll roll over and die but they
are professionals and they keep
coming at you,” Maxwell said.
The Rockets almost blew a 25-
point halftime lead but held on to
win Tuesday night’s game 117-
108 to take a 2-1 lead in the best-
of-five first-round playoff.
Houston could eliminate the
Blazers in the fourth game to
night at The Summit. Tip-off is at
7 p.m. CDT.
Rockets but finished with 20, also
aiding the Blazers’ rally.
“We’ve got to come out better
or it’s over,” Vandeweghe said.
“We just stood around (Tuesday).
We have to turn the fast break
and move their big guys around.”
Fitch didn’t try to hide his dis
gust in the Rockets’ second-half
defensive performance.
“When we have a 25-point
lead, nobody should shoot layups
on us,” Fitch said. “The Towers
(Ralph Sampson and Akeem Ola-
juwon) are more important on
defense than on offense.”
Portland’s resiliency in the sec
ond half will help them in to
night’s game, Blazer Coach Mike
chi ’
Schuler said.
The Rockets dominated the
Blazers 125-115 in the series
opening but Portland’s trapping
defense resulted in a 111-98 vic
tory in the second game.
“We’re going to have to play a
lot smarter,” Rockets Coach Bill
Fitch said. “We’ve got to work our
tails off to play as well in the
fourth quarter as we did in the
first quarter.”
“It would have been so easy to
pack it in, but they didn’t do
that,” Schuler said. “That was
very important to our players.”
The Blazers were called for
three illegal defenses in Tues
day’s game. The Rockets com
plained the Blazers were using an
illegal zone in Sunday’s loss.
“I knew that would happen,”
Schuler said. “Houston talked so
much about it, I knew the refs
would be watching it closely.”
Portland’s Clyde Drexler
scored 10 of his 26 points in the
third quarter Tuesday when the
Blazers started whittling away at
Houston’s lead.
Portland got the deficit down
to six points with 4:24 to play be
fore Houston ended the rally.
“We’ve got to come out of the
box more aggressive,” Drexler
said. “We were aggressive in the
second half Tuesday but we dug a
hole too deep to get out of.”
Kiki Vandeweghe scored only
6 first-half points against the
Fitch said the Rockets counted
15 illegal defenses in Sunday’s
game but there were only two
others that weren’t called in
Tuesday’s game.
“They’ll never be able to do
again what they did Sunday,”
Fitch said. “They’ll try some
thing.”
The fifth game of the series, if
necessary, would be played in
Portland Saturday.
The Houston-Portland winner
will play the winner of the Dallas-
Seattle series. Seattle leads that
series 2-1.
Brown leads
Las Vegas
Invitational
LAS VEGAS (AP)-KenBn
of Great Britain put on a fasti
for a 64 and the lead Wednes#
the storm-interrupted and i
pleted first round of the $1.3 ml
Las Vegas Invitational.
Play was held up for almost!
hours by a series of early ato
thunderstorms that struck!
sert resort with rain, windand!|
rung.
Officials eventually called plji
the day at 8:30 p.m., CDT,witlil
the field of 156 pros and 62111
teurs still on the three courses*
for the first three rounds
event.
1-21
h3
They marked their positions
were due to return at 11 a.m
today to complete first-round
Due to the size of the field
forecast calling for more
storms — no further play is
uled today.
The second round of the
90-hole tournament is set forFn !
PGA Tour officials said
sion has been made on the
ment schedule beyond Fridat
whether the tournament will h
duced to 72 holes.
NEW Y
nandez co
against Mi
and RBI s
pitched s
leading tin
Houston
night.
The Me
ing streak I
Rational 1
with his ft
Scott was i
in last yea
beat the M
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i\mge ag
bis sixth c
Houston
batter has
rims again:
Fernand
first four-g
inch hitte
in seven it
and walkiu
to the first
after a 1:4!
of the first,
Doug Si:
esse Orosi
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itant at U
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Gr
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Brown, who splits his seasoi
tween the American and Fun
tours, made the turn in a moded
then ripped the back nine
burst of six birdies in sevenholfi
That string was interrupted!'
long delay. He came back
hours later and parred the
hole, completing the back nineii
The original schedule g
the pros to play one round, eacl
with a different 4-man ami
team, on each of three courses
fore the field is cut for the final
rounds at the Las Vegas Con
Club.
10P DILLA
ENTRAL PA-