UA battles Sun Devils, weather

Adam F. Jarrold Arizona Daily Wildcat UA junior Vicky Maes waits for a shot during the Wildcats' match against Syracuse. Weather permitting, Arizona will play Arizona State today at 1 p.m. today at Robson Tennis Center.

The Wildcats have a 1 p.m. match at the Robson Tennis Center with Arizona State (13-2 overall, 4-2 in the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division).

The eighth-ranked Sun Devils traveled to Tucson on Feb. 11, but competition was rained out.

"We'd just like to kick their butts and send them back to Tempe," UA junior Betsy Miringoff said.

Arizona fell three slots to No. 14 in the latest ITA/Rolex ranking, but the players don't mind the idea of playing a team that is higher ranked.

"Being the underdogs is easier than being on top," Miringoff said. "All of the pressure is on them."

The Wildcats (12-5, 2-4) last played a higher ranked on March 7, when they lost 6-1 to No. 4 UCLA.

Arizona head coach Becky Bell does not think it will affect today's match, though.

"I don't think it will be a factor because we played a good match on Saturday (an 8-1 win over then-No. 35 Northwestern)," she said. "It doesn't really matter what (opponents) are ranked."

When the teams were originally slated to compete, Miringoff was still off the team. Miringoff, who is a junior, was a member of the team the last two seasons, but decided not to come back this fall until February when abruptly she changed her mind.

She is 2-0 since moving up to the Wildcats' fifth singles position and is 3-3 overall.

"I'm slowly coming back," Miringoff said. "I'm just trying to play my best and hopefully come through and help the team."

Her return to the team has not caused a problem.

"We're a better team with Betsy on the team, but we were ready then and we'll be ready (today)," Bell said.

The Sun Devils are led by Reka Cseresnyes, who is the 13th-ranked singles player in the nation. She is 10-4 in the Sun Devils' top position and will take on UA junior Vicky Maes.

Maes, whose singles ranking dropped three spots to No. 7, has a 14-3 overall record.

Arizona State beat UNLV 7-2 on Saturday in its last match.

"Everyone needs to play well," Bell said. "We need to play good in doubles for sure and we need to compete well."

Arizona State dominated play in a men's tennis battle between two in-state rivalries who were both fighting for their first conference victory.

The Wildcats only earned one point yesterday in Tempe as the Sun Devils prevailed, 6-1.

The loss is the Wildcats seventh consecutive loss and drops their record to 5-8 overall and 0-7 in the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division.

Arizona State's record improved to 9-8, 1-6 in Pac-10 play after they trounced the Wildcats yesterday at Whiteman Tennis Center.

No. 62 Arizona's only win came from junior Mike Mackay. The Phoenix native who played for the Sun Devils one season, fought ASU's Carey Biorkman down to the wire to put the Wildcats on the scoreboard with a 4-6, 6-1, 7-5 win.

No. 50 Arizona State swept all three doubles sets to take a one point lead into the singles competition.

Senior Henrik Wagner, Arizona's No. 1 player, played Sergio Elias and won the first set 6-2. Elias bounced back and sent him back to Tucson after winning the next two sets 6-0, 6-2. The loss drops Wagner's record in the Wildcat's top position to 3-8.