Oct. 24, 2011
SAN DIEGO, Calif.- Former University of San Diego standout Zuzana Lesenarova has been recognized by the Intercollegiate Tennis Association for having one of the greatest performances in ITA All-American Championship history. The ITA recently highlighted some of the most memorable individual performances in the 28-year history of the tournament, which traditionally takes place as the first major national collegiate event of the fall.
Lesenarova was recognized for her performance at the 1999 All-Americans where she defeated Wake Forest's Adria Engel 6-7(3), 6-4, 7-5 to claim her fifth national title of her career. In that match, Lesenarova, then a senior, defended her singles title after winning the same event the year before.
Lesenarova made a tremendous impact on the collegiate women's tennis national scene during her time at the University of San Diego (1996-2000). A four-time NCAA All-American, she is the school's only NCAA Division I national champion. During her junior campaign she won the 1999 NCAA Division I national singles championship with a win over Stanford's Marissa Irvin in the final, ending her fabulous junior season as the No. 1 ranked player in the nation.
In 1999 she won three of the four Grand Slam events, and all told won 37 career Grand Slam matches. Named the 1999 ITA National Player of the Year, she was rewarded with an invitation into the 1999 U.S. Open Championships.
Additionally, she held the No. 1 singles ranking twice (1999, 2000), the No. 1 doubles ranking once (2000, w/Katrina Valkyova); is a two-time National Clay Court Champion; a two-time Riviera All-American Champion; a three-time Semifinalist at the Rolex Indoors; a three-time West Coast Conference Player of the Year; and a three-time WCC All-Academic selection. For her Torero career she finished with an overall record of 202-55 (139-25 in singles; 63-30 in doubles).
Lesenarova was inducted into the USD Athletic Hall of Fame in 2009 as the winningest player in USD history.
For the complete ITA release click here.
