Boys tennis: Yovan has a Ball in PCL singles final

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - At this pace, a genuine rivalry could develop

between juniors Cameron Ball of Corona del Mar High and Aaron Yovan of

University.

“Probably this last month has been a rivalry,” Yovan said Wednesday,

after defeating Ball, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-4, in the Pacific Coast League

championship singles match at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet Club.

Last year as sophomores, Ball defeated Yovan for the PCL title, but

Yovan returned the favor last week at the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament,

winning 6-4, 6-1, in the boys interscholastic 18s Round of 16.

“That (win) was big,” Yovan said. “Ojai was a big match for me, but I

knew it wasn’t over, because I knew that we would meet here in the (PCL)

finals.”

League champions and runners-up qualified for the CIF Southern Section

individual championships, beginning May 18.

CdM senior Brian Morton, headed for UC Irvine, and sophomore Garrett

Snyder defeated teammates and defending PCL champions Michael Bean and

Peter Kulmaticki, 6-3, 6-0, to capture the league doubles title.

Top-seeded Morton-Snyder advanced to the finals with a 6-2, 6-1

semifinal victory over Laguna Beach’s Anton Brandt and Jeff Ferguson,

while second-seeded Bean-Kulmaticki beat University’s Anson Hsu and Edwin

Chen in the semis, 1-6, 7-6 (7-0), 6-3.

In the singles semifinals, Yovan topped Northwood’s Andrew Cho, 6-4,

6-4, while Ball swept Uni’s Jeff Lawrence without dropping a game.

In the final, Ball met Yovan for the fourth time in his career, and

the second time in a week. “We played one time way back in the 12s in San

Diego,” Ball said.

Yovan, seeded first, won the big points against the second-seeded Ball

in a well-played final.

“It was a tough match,” said Yovan, who rallied early in the third

set, after trailing 0-1 and 15-40.

In both the second and fourth games, Yovan faced 15-40 deficits, but

came back to win. Sandwiched between those games, Yovan broke Ball for a

2-1 lead.

“When I held at 1-1 (after being down 15-40 in the second game), that

gave me some momentum, then I broke him and eventually went up, 4-1,

which is tough to come back from,” said Yovan, who improved his record to

20-3 this year.

In the second set, Ball broke Yovan in the sixth game to go up 4-2,

ending it with two straight backhand winners.

Ball kept the momentum with an ace in the next game, in which he held

serve for a 5-2 advantage.

At 5-3, a disputed point went against Ball as Yovan broke to get back

in it.

“Everything’s close when (a match) is that big,” Ball said. “I just

try to call balls as best I can and be a gentleman.”

At set and break point in the second, Yovan double faulted to force a

third set.

“There was a turning point in every game it seemed,” said Ball, whose

first serve was estimated at 130 mph at times.

In the third set, down 0-1 and 15-40, Yovan started his rally, using a

sweet backhand winner at 30-40, then, at ad in, won with a forehand

winner to square the set.

With Ball serving at 1-1 and ad out, his short-hop return kissed the

top of the tape and fell back on his side, putting Yovan in front, 2-1,

after the break.

In the fourth game, Yovan faced another 15-40 deficit, but won the

next four points in a row for a 3-1 edge. Yovan broke Ball at love in the

fifth game for a 4-1 lead, before Ball rallied again.

Serving at 2-4 and ad out, Ball landed an ace on his second serve for

deuce, then won the next two points, including a service winner at game

point.

At 3-5, Ball held serve at love, opening the ninth game with another

ace. But Yovan closed out Ball in the next game.

“Cameron was playing awesome the whole match,” Yovan said.