Singles Play Carries Servite to Title

As many weapons as unbeaten Servite possessed, Goleta Dos Pueblos was going to have to shake things up to have a chance in the Southern Section Division IV boys’ tennis championship match.

So Dos Pueblos Coach Peter Garst stacked the doubles lineup, moving Andy Lin, his top singles’ player, to doubles.

It almost paid off, but top-seeded Servite (24-0) prevailed, 10-8, Wednesday at the Claremont Club.

It was the first tennis title in school history for Servite, which swept all nine sets in singles, and the first championship appearance for the second-seeded Chargers (17-4).

“We did it the right way,” said Garst, who is retiring at the end of the school year. “We just didn’t pull it off. I didn’t realize Servite was as strong as they were. They certainly deserve the title.”

The first round ended with the score tied, 3-3. Servite swept in singles and Dos Pueblos swept the doubles. Knowing that trend would continue, Servite Coach Dick Fumanti said he needed his No. 3 singles’ player, Daniel Liem, to come through. One loss in singles could send the Friars home without a title.

Liem did exactly what was needed, sweeping his sets and pulling off a key victory over Daniel Aleksander, playing in the No. 1 spot for the Chargers. Liem went up a break at, 5-4, and then battled through two deuces to win the set and bring the team score to 6-6 at the end of Round 2.

Liem went on to win his third match easily, 6-0, over George Chen, all but clinching the title for Servite, which had a comfortable lead in total games, the tie-breaker had the match ended in a tie.

“Servite’s No. 3 player turned out to be a lot better than I thought,” Garst said. “We needed to win one in singles and we couldn’t do it.”

In the end it didn’t matter. Richard Mauban and Marcus Martinez won their final doubles set, 6-3, over Damien Tomczik and Jesse Katz, giving Servite the outright victory.

The victory by Mauban and Martinez was the only one in doubles for Servite, which gave up only seven games in its sweep of singles.

Patrick Buchanan won, 6-1, 6-0, 6-0, and Jonathon Sanchez won, 6-0, 6-1, 6-0.

In the Division V championship match:

Corona del Mar 14, L.A. Brentwood 4--The top-seeded Sea Kings might have to thank a bad batch of ranch dressing for helping them to an easy victory at the Claremont Club.

Sean McKean, Brentwood’s top singles’ player, was unable to play in the title match after contracting food poisoning on Monday. His absence not only forced Brentwood Coach Keith Sarkisian to bring in alternate Daniel Freeman to play at No. 3 singles, but it took a toll on the team’s attitude.

“Who knows what would have happened, points-wise, if Sean had played,” Sarkisian said. “But our guys were really deflated.”

Even if McKean had played, the Sea Kings probably would have taken home the title. They won all nine singles matches and five in doubles.

“Our singles played incredible today,” Corona del Mar Coach Tim Mang said.

But it was a sweep at No. 1 doubles by Peter Kulmaticki and Michael Bean that may have been the key. The pair opened with an 8-6 tie-breaker victory over Brentwood’s top team, Ari Rosenthal and Chris Dennis. Kulmaticki and Bean then held off Jordan Safan and David Stanley, 7-5, and closed out with a 6-4 victory over Daniel Asper and Davey Ryan.