Lehnhoff Sweeps Titles
Jessica Lehnhoff always has been more recognized for her doubles achievements than for her singles play in tennis.
But the Florida senior showed ample prowess in both Sunday at the Riviera Tennis Club in Pacific Palisades, becoming only the third player to capture the singles and doubles titles of the Riviera Women’s All-American Championships in the same year.
Lehnhoff, seeded sixth, routed fourth-seeded Nataly Cahana of Old Dominion, 6-2, 6-0, in the singles final and teamed with Lindsay Dawaf to win, 8-4, over Oklahoma State’s Linda Faltynova and Katarzyna Kolodynska in the doubles final. The double victory had been achieved only by San Diego’s Zuzana Lesenarova in 1999 and Stanford’s Sandra Birch in 1990.
“I’m not too surprised I got here in doubles. But to do it in singles too is just extra special,†said Lehnhoff, who teamed with since-graduated Whitney Laiho to win the NCAA doubles championship in May.
Lehnhoff defeated Kim Niggemeyer of Fresno State in a semifinal Saturday.
She got past top-seeded Wake Forest junior Bea Bielik in the quarterfinals when Bielik retired because of cramps.
“I’m in extremely good shape, and I think that was the biggest thing because it’s early in the season,†Lehnhoff said.
Go beyond the scoreboard
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