BEFORE YOU SWEAT : TENNIS TENNIS PLAYERS SHOULD MAKE STRETCHING THEIR NEW RACKET.

Byline: Kevin Ainsfeld Daily News Staff Writer

Whether you are a top-ranked tennis player or just one who plays on weekends, it pays to loosen up before you do your best imitation of Steffi Graf's ferocious topspin forehand.

Even the third-ranked women's tennis team from the University of California, Los Angeles, follows that rule.

Former four-year all-American Bruin player from 1987 to 1991 and first-year head coach Stella Sampras always has the team members stretch before they play - whether just for a practice or for the NCAA championships in May at Stanford University.

Tennis is a game of serving, returning shots and quick sprints. Players are constantly changing directions to return the ball.

Freshman Elizabeth Schmidt, ranked 42nd nationally and a serve and volley player, tests her body every time she takes the court. She faithfully abides by Sampras' pregame stretch regimen.

However, before beginning the stretches, spend about 15 minutes warming up your muscles. Schmidt did this by first jogging around the court, doing a high knee jog and then sidestepping around the court a few times.

CAPTION(S):

8 Photos

Photo: (1) Quadriceps stretch: Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart. Bring your right foot back, bending at the knee; cup the top of your foot with your right hand. Balance yourself and slowly pull your foot toward your buttocks. Hold for 15 seconds. Then switch to your left leg. This exercise loosens up the large frontal thigh muscle that is important when lunging for a ball or for taking low volleys.

(2--3) Hamstring stretch: This is a three-part stretch. Standing with your legs about 3 feet apart, bend and reach for your right toe with both hands. Go as far as you can to feel a slight stretch. Hold for 15 seconds. Pull yourself back to a standing position. Now, bring your arms down to the center and hold for 15 seconds. Pull up again, then stretch toward the left toe. This stretch helps ready you for quick sprints so you do not pull any muscles when exploding on a ball.

(4) Shoulder stretch 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Extend your right arm straight up in the air, then bend your elbow, bringing your right hand flat against your shoulder. With your left arm, grasp your right elbow, pushing it slightly back to extend the right hand slowly down the back. Hold for a count of 15, then switch arms.

This stretch is important for the serve. If the shoulder muscles are not loose, shoulder tightness and even tendinitis can occur when bringing your arm back to follow through on a serve.

(5) Shoulder stretch 2: In a similar stance, bring your right arm across your body. With your left hand, grasp the underside of the upper arm and push toward your chest. Hold for 15 seconds, then switch to the left arm.

(6) Calf stretch: Stand facing a wall with your hands directly in front of you on the wall. Put your left foot a comfortable distance from the wall and your right foot about 15 inches behind the left in a straight line perpendicular to the wall. Push off your right foot, bending your left knee. Make sure your right heel stays on the ground. Hold for 15 seconds, then repeat the stretch with the opposite foot forward.

The calf stretch helps keep the muscles loose when a player quickly runs down a ball or has to push off when changing directions.

(7) Butterfly stretch: Sit on the ground with your knees bent so that the soles of your feet touch one another. Grasp your feet and slowly press your elbows down on your legs until you feel a light groin stretch. This stretch helps the hip flexor and groin muscles loosen so you can quickly bend down to hit a ball.

(8) Stella Sampras

UCLA tennis coach