ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, August 4, 1996 TAG: 9608050140
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-11 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUG DOUGHTY STAFF WRITER
On a circuit where the faces tend to change from year to year, Shannan McCarthy should have a vaguely familiar look to Roanoke tennis fans.
McCarthy was an 18-year-old University of Georgia freshman when she came to Roanoke in 1989 and won singles and doubles titles in the United States Tennis Association's annual stop at Hunting Hills.
McCarthy won't match that feat in her first trip to Roanoke in seven years, although she advanced to the doubles final Saturday when she teamed with Rebecca Jensen to defeat Vanessa Menga and Larissa Schaerer 6-4, 6-7, 7-5.(Results in Scoreboard. C10)
Top-seeded Maria Jose Gaidano of Argentina will meet Karin Miller for the singles title today at 1 p.m. That will be followed by the doubles championship, where McCarthy and Jensen will meet Liezel Horn and Nino Louarsabishvili in the final.
Jensen is the younger sister of Luke and Murphy Jensen, one of this country's top-ranked men's doubles tandems, but she is no more famous than McCarthy's doubles partner in 1989, Mary Pierce.
``I didn't know who Mary Pierce was and she didn't know who I was,'' McCarthy said. ``I was 18 and she was 14. Now, she's winning Grand Slam events [the Australian Open] and it doesn't seem that long ago.
``We came here from the U.S. National team and our coach knew who Mary was and asked if one of us would play with her. The other two girls said they didn't want to play with her but I said, `Why not?' ''
McCarthy was once the nation's No.1-ranked collegiate player, reaching the 1992 NCAA final before losing to Lisa Raymond. However, her greatest success as a professional has been in doubles, where she rose as high as No.40 in the world with Kim Po.
McCarthy will play with Julie Steven at next week's USTA Women's Challenger in Austin, Texas, but there was some question whether Steven would play this week - she eventually did - because of an arm injury
``I just gave [McCarthy] a call and asked her, `Hey, do you want to play?' '' Jensen related. ``The worst that could have happened was for her to say, `No.' ''
``I've been searching for a partner and I was lucky to catch her. I knew she was the best out here. If she ever wanted to play with me [regularly], I would just love it. For me, it's kind of been the partner of the week.''
Jensen had a doubles reputation of her own, having shared in an NCAA championship while she was at the University of Kansas. She and McCarthy were doubles partners earlier this year at Amelia Island (Ga.).
``I think we have the potential to play well together,'' McCarthy said. ``She has a big serve and she's good at the net. I kind of fill in the edges.
``She gets real hyper, which can be good sometimes because it keeps me up, and other times I think it's good for me to calm her down. It works both ways.''
Louarsabishivili knocked off McCarthy on Thursday in the second round of the singles' draw. Angela Lettiere easily handled Jensen in the first round of the qualifying tournament.
``She basically gave me a tennis lesson,'' said Jensen, who is based in Atlanta, 15 miles from McCarthy's home in Alpharetta, Ga. ``But, I forgot about that match as soon as we shook hands.''
McCarthy, once ranked as high as 150th in the world in singles, recently took three months off while nursing a shoulder problem and had dropped to 296th coming into the Roanoke tournament.
``That's the lowest it's been since I came on the computer,'' said McCarthy, 26, who returned to school this spring and completed the courses she needed for her degree. ``I just need to play more and have some more matches.
``Actually, my best year was my first year, when I was right out of school. I qualified in some big events, got up to about [No.] 150, close to breaking into some Grand Slam events.
``Your second year is a little tougher because you've got to defend those points. It's tough because it's not so much how you do in tournaments, but how you deal with the lifestyle.''
The Challenger Series is good for McCarthy because it is an opportunity to gain ratings points and play in matches. Besides, in Roanoke, the prize money has risen from $10,000 to $25,000 since her last visit.
``The place looks great,'' she said. ``I think they do a lot for the players. The tournament is run really well and the facilities are great, with the indoor courts in case of rain. And the bigger checks don't hurt.''
LENGTH: Medium: 81 linesby CNB