Bullard takes title in doubles

Back injury forces Redwood's defending singles champ to retire.

Published online on Saturday, Nov. 07, 2009

VISALIA -- Bullard High's Pookie Gonzalez and Ashley Valdez proved how well, rather than how often, you play together can trump all.

Redwood's Gabrielle Gatewood discovered that no matter how well you play, you can't put off a doctor's advice forever.

The sixth-seeded team of Gonzalez and Valdez, who didn't play together during the regular season, rolled to the doubles title, while two-time defending singles champion Gatewood was forced to retire in the semifinals because of a back injury during the conclusion of the Central Section individual girls tennis tournament Saturday at Redwood High.

Gonzalez and Valdez completed their march through the doubles draw with a 6-1, 6-0 victory over top-seeded Erin Carlson and Jessica Wang of Buchanan.

"No one expected us to play like a real doubles team," said Gonzalez, who only competed in singles during the season because she also plays for the Knights' league champion volleyball team. "But we used that as motivation."

While Gonzalez and Valdez joined forces for the first time this season during Bullard's team playoff match Oct. 29, the two have been close friends for seven years and play together during the summer at Sierra Sport & Racquet Club, where Gonzalez's father, Francisco, is the teaching pro.

"We complement each other's game very well," Valdez said. "We motivate each other."

After coming from behind to win the first point of the first set, Gonzalez and Valdez rarely trailed the rest of the way as they combined for eight winners while the Buchanan duo had 43 errors.

"We went out there and didn't let anything get to us," Gonzalez said. "We played our game, smart and consistent."

The top-seeded Gatewood topped Bakersfield Christian sophomore Chelby Cooke 6-4 in the first set of their semifinal.

But her bad back got worse in the second set, greatly reducing the effectiveness of her serve. After using her allotment of injury time, the Cal Poly-bound Gatewood retired while trailing 3-2.

Gatewood has played the past two months through back pain her doctor said would require two weeks' rest to cure.

"She won the first set but you could tell her movement was limited," Redwood coach Rosemarie Lewis said. "By the second set, it wasn't worth the risk to further injury. It's hard for her to understand, but looking at the big picture, she has college ball coming up and that's the most important thing."

Cooke's older sister, senior Lyndsay, won the all-Bakersfield Christian battle in the final, 6-4, 7-5.