Sports Editor
Hank Hager
hankhager@dailyemerald.com
Oregon Daily Emerald
SPORTS
Best bet
NBA:
Denver at Cleveland
5 p.m., ESPN
Wednesday, November 5, 2003
Destiny toward the hard court
Junior Daria Panova’s path
started as a figure skater but
deviated when she found tennis
Alex Tam
Sports Freelancer
Oregon junior Daria Panova strongly at
tests to a belief in fate.
One of Oregon's top women's players in
the history of the program might not have
ended up a tennis player. Growing up in
Moscow, Panova, like
DUCK
TENNIS
many other Russian
athletes, tested her
skills in the sport of
figure skating.
A far cry from the
grass and hard courts,
the ice rink was her sporting venue of choice.
While on her way to figure skating practice at
the age of 7, Panova encountered an an
nouncement that invited eager and passion
ate athletes to try out for a tennis organiza
tion. Panova immediately turned to her
mother and told her she wanted to sign up.
From that point on, fate took over and the
path to Oregon began.
For the next seven years, Panova realized
her natural ability to play the game and prac
ticed for at least an hour and a half five days a
week. Later, as she reached the age of 14,
practices became more grueling and intense
— upward of five or six hours a day — at the
Sopot Academy in Russia.
"1 didn't even have time for school or any
thing," Panova said.
As she grew older, she faced the reality of
the recruiting process from colleges in the
United States. The Ducks started courting the
up-and-coming tennis sensation when for
mer Duck Monica Giecsyzs helped to bring
Panova's talents to Oregon. The Oregon ten
nis coaches persuaded Panova to sign her let
ter of intent and told her about the state.
"(The coaches) told me that it was really nice
here and that it just rains a lot" Panova said.
Even though she had been to the United
States just once for a tennis tournament, the
assimilation to American culture was not a
difficult process. Living in another country
Adam Amato Photo Editor
Oregon's Daria Panova, who expects to compete for the national championship this season, is heading to Ann Arbor, Mich., this weekend to play in the ITA
National Championships. Oregon head coach Nils Schyllander said she is one of the top 10 players in the nation.
did not deter her from her goal of becoming
the best tennis player possible.
During her freshman year, Panova joined
the team toward the end of the season and
made an immediate impact on the Pacific-10
Conference and the national scene. She defeat
ed three ranked opponents, including a win at
her first-ever match in the NCAA tournament.
Panova proved to herself and her team that she
was the next rising star on the tennis circuit.
"Obviously we feel very lucky (to have
her)," head coach Nils Schyllander said.
"She's pretty much one of the 10 people in
the country today who can win the national
championship. I think she legitimizes our
whole program. It rubs off on the whole
team, in a sense that our players get to play
with her everyday and get to see what level
the top players play and practice at."
Her sophomore season last year proved to
be one of the best in the history of the Ore
gon tennis program.
Turn to TENNIS, page 6
Lewis quieted
after comments
to Seattle paper
Keith Lewis talked to Seattle media last week,
but pays for it by not being allowed to speak
to the press for the remainder of the season
By Mindi Rice
Senior Sports Reporter
Senior Keith Lewis' attitude has gotten him in trouble before
this season.
Last season, Lewis called I lusky quarterback Cody Pickett "over
rated" during a radio interview, and Oregon
head coach Mike Bellotti banned Lewis
from further interviews.
"Keith did not listen to me last year,"
Bellotti said Monday. "We had a little chat
- about certain things that I don't agree
with, so he will not be available to the
press or the TV or anybody."
Yes, it happened again, albeit to a different Seattle media outlet.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer reporter Ted Miller talked to Lewis be
fore Saturday's game at Washington, and Lewis continued his
DUCK
FOOTBALL
trend of giving a reporter plenty material.
Turn to FOOTBALL, page 6
J
UO ready for pre-season opener
Oregon s 2003-04 season starts tonight
when when the Basketball Travelers take
to McArthur Court in an exhibition game
By Jon Roetman
Sports Reporter
After weeks of battling one another in practice, tke Oregon
women's basketball team will finally get some new competi
tion.
The Ducks face the Basketball Travel
115 IAIUI ^ til ers ton‘8hl ‘n t^ie*r season-opening exhi
WUIVtCiM </i bition game at 7 p.m. at McArthur
BASKETBALL
- Oregon head coach Bev Smith said
the Ducks are looking forward to facing
other opponents even though their deep roster has kept com
petition fresh in practice.
"(Practice competition) hasn't gotten as old as it has in the
past because of (our depth)," Smith said. "But there's still that
sense that it's time to play someone else."
Wednesday will mark the first time since early in the 2002
2003 season that senior forward Cathrine Kraayeveld will play
completely healthy. The All-America candidate missed 13 games
last season with a staph infection in her right knee. Kraayeveld
earned Honorable Mention All-Pacific-10 Conference honors
while averaging 14.5 points and 10.1 rebounds per game but
didn't qualify for conference or national statistics after playing in
only 15 games.
Turn to BASKETBALL, page 6
Emerald
Cathrine Kraayeveld is an All-America candidate for the Ducks.