Stanford’s O’Brien Seeks to Repeat as Champion of Pacific 10 Singles

Stanford’s Alex O’Brien can become the first player since USC’s Stan Smith to win the Pacific 10 Conference men’s tennis title in back-to-back years when he meets UCLA’s Mark Knowles in the finals today in the Ojai tennis tournament at Libbey Park.

Smith won the championships in 1967 and ’68 when the conference was the Pac-8.

O’Brien was pushed to three sets in Saturday’s 91-degree heat by Bill Behrens of UCLA before winning, 6-2, 4-6, 6-2, in the semifinals. Knowles had an easier time in the other semifinal, overpowering USC’s Jonathan Leach, 6-4, 6-3.

O’Brien reached the final for the third consecutive year, but he was quick to recognize that winning again today will be difficult.

“I’m just happy to get through this round,” O’Brien said. “Winning a tournament two times in a row is a tough thing to do.”

Knowles beat O’Brien, 6-2, 6-2, last week at UCLA. O’Brien beat Knowles, 6-4, 6-2, April 3 at Stanford.

While form held true in the men’s competition, with the top two seeded players advancing to the final, upsets continued to prevail in the semifinals of the women’s singles.

USC freshman Petra Schmitt beat second-seeded Laxmi Poruri of Stanford, 6-4, 6-0, and Arizona sophomore Alix Creek defeated third-seeded Mamie Ceniza of UCLA, 6-3, 6-3.

Creek, who upset top-seeded Heather Willens in the second round Thursday, is the first Arizona player to reach a Pac-10 women’s final in the six years the championships have been held at Ojai.