Since Steffi Graf retired, the one-handed backhand has become a
dying art form in women’s tennis.
Aside from Justine Henin’s picture-perfect swing, this
stroke is a lost art like the Ickey Shuffle or the skyhook.
If this shot needs a savior, UCLA freshman Jackie Carleton may
be it. With her feisty spirit and gorgeous swing, Carleton has the
features to be the next Graf or Henin, and if you’ve seen any
of her matches, the game is there too.
“It’s one of her best shots and it’s fun to
watch,” UCLA head coach Stella Sampras Webster said.
“You don’t see it much anymore.”
However, it is more than just the one-handed backhand that has
distinguished Carleton from the six other freshmen on this
year’s squad. After starting the season at the No. 2 spot in
the lineup and ranked No. 84 nationally, her ranking has climbed to
No. 31 and she has had the opportunity to play three matches at the
No. 1 spot in senior Sara Walker’s absence.
“It’s a great experience,” Carleton said of
playing at the top spot. “The matches are tougher, but I
stepped up.”
Most memorable for Carleton was her three-hour marathon match
against Arizona’s Emile Scribot on Feb. 22. While playing the
last match of the day was nothing new to Carleton, being in that
situation with the outcome of the day on her shoulders was a
first.
“The scoreboard was right above me and at first I
didn’t know it was the deciding match,” Carleton said.
“I tried not to think about it.”
In the back of her mind lingered the Pac-10 Indoors in January,
when Scribot handily defeated Carleton 6-2, 6-2. But after
splitting the first two sets in tiebreakers, it became clear this
time that Carleton’s level of confidence would not be her
demise.
In spite of the Tucson altitude and the fatigue from playing
nine sets in four days, Carleton closed the match out 6-3 in the
third set.
“After the Fresno State match, she was really
determined,” Sampras Webster said. “She did a good job
regrouping and had a great match.”
Even though it is just her first year, Carleton is learning how
quickly the highs and lows of college tennis can follow each other.
Earlier this season, she bounced back from a straight-set loss to
USC’s Luana Magnani to go undefeated at the National Team
Indoors. Her most memorable win there was a three-set victory over
No. 35 Anne Nguyen of Georgia, a senior who had played in the same
section as Carleton in junior tournaments.
“It was really neat getting to play someone I had grown up
hearing about from my own section, and then beating her,”
Carleton said.
Nguyen was one of few players in the Middle States section to
achieve national prominence, but it appears that Carleton might
ultimately surpass her. Originally from Jenkintown, Pa., Carleton
regularly competed in USTA national tournaments and played
internationally in order to find good competition. She spent the
latter half of her junior and her entire senior year of high school
at the John Newcomb Tennis School in Texas.
With so much of her junior career dedicated to boosting her
individual ranking, Carleton has nevertheless embraced the team
aspect of tennis in college.
After getting a glimpse at the top spot she may very likely hold
in the future, she is not disappointed at all to move back to her
No. 2 spot.
“I’m ready to do whatever I need to do to help the
team,” she said. “There’s no letdown going back
to No. 2 because every match is so important. You can win a
clinching match at No. 6 or No. 1.”
“She’s really into the team,” Sampras Webster
added. “She adds intensity to practice, which is a good thing
to have.”
The intensity has carried over to her matches, reflecting how
hard she is willing to work for a win. Six of Carleton’s dual
matches have gone three sets, and she has prevailed in four of
them.
“I’m willing to put in the time to get the
win,” Carleton said. “I’m confident in the third
set because I can stay out there. The longer the points, the better
it is for me.” Although this confidence may have taken a hit
in her Fresno State match, it showed no effects in her Arizona
battle. Losing two grueling matches in such a short span would have
been disappointing for any tennis player, but for Carleton, it may
have been devastating.
“She really hates to lose, and when she does, she needs 10
to 15 minutes to herself,” Sampras Webster said. “You
don’t see that a whole lot.”
Sampras Webster believes it is this type of intensity that sets
Carleton apart.
“When she’s out there, she’s focused 100
percent on tennis,” Sampras Webster said. “She takes it
very seriously because she wants to be top 50 in the world some
day.”
For now, however, Carleton is just focusing on distinguishing
herself in the college ranks. With wins over highly ranked players
such as No. 9 Alexis Gordon of Florida, she will likely reach her
goal of making the NCAA Championships and may even become an
All-American.
“She believes she can meet those goals, and she deserves
it,” Sampras Webster said.