Romeo wins junior tourney title

The Laguna Beach girls’ tennis team streaked into the CIF Southern Section playoffs on an eight-match win streak but that ride, and the season, came to an end Nov. 9.

The Breakers, champions of the Orange Coast League, dropped their first-round match of the CIF Southern Section Division I playoffs when they fell to visiting El Toro, 11-7.

Laguna was at a disadvantage at the outset of the match as No. 1 singles Maddie Jaeger did not play because of an inflamed Achilles tendon, Breakers Coach Jimmy Gleason said. With the sophomore out of the lineup, El Toro went on to outscore the Breakers in singles play, 6-3.

“Maddie’s loss hurt us but they were a good team,” Gleason said of the Chargers, an at-large playoff entry from the South Coast League.

Laguna finished the year with an overall record of 8-10, Gleason said. The Breakers dropped some close matches in nonleague play were they finished with a 1-9 record but went on to win all seven of their Orange Coast League matches played, to repeat as champion.

Seniors Sarah Russell, who partnered with sophomore Alison Azera at No. 1 doubles, and Kimberly Smith, who teamed with freshman Bianca Sganga at No. 3 doubles, played their final match for the Breakers.

“The team totally improved as the season went on,” said Gleason, who completed his first year as head coach at Laguna. “The girls got better technically and really improved their serves and got to the net quicker. I was really please to see that.”

In other tennis news:

Romeo wins tourney title

Laguna Beach resident Benito Romeo won all five 14-and-Under division matches he played last weekend to claim first-place at the 15th annual Laguna Niguel Jr. Satellite Tennis Tournament held at the Laguna Niguel Racquet Club.

Romeo, a freshman at Laguna Beach High, survived his first match by winning with scores of 7-6, 7-6. He easily advanced through his second- and quarterfinal-round matches, then won 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 over Brandon Pohl of Mission Viejo in the semifinal round to earn a spot in the division final.

In the championship match, he defeated David Demerest of Carlsbad, 6-4, 6-7, 7-5.

More than 50 players from southern California competed in the 14-U division.

Romeo has been coached by former Laguna Beach High tennis coach Aaron Talarico and currently by Breakers tennis coach, Jimmy Gleason.

“Benito did a really, really good job,” Gleason said. “He’s improving leaps and bounds. He’s become a much more solid and content player without losing his power. He’s actually become even more powerful and precise.”