Chapman’s Walker Wins Independent Singles Final

The Pacific 10, whose players, more often than not, are the class of college tennis, has garnered most of the attention here in the last decade or so--that is, until now.

This year is one of parity in the collegiate game. For example, the men’s independent collegiate singles final was comparable in quality and excitement to the Pac-10 final. Miles Walker of Chapman College defeated Greg Failla of Cal State Long Beach, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, in the independent collegiate singles final.

Failla, who was up 3-0 and a service break in the third against Walker, defeated Luke Jensen and Patrick McEnroe this year. Walker also has recorded victories over top Division I players.

The match did end on a bitter note, however. Failla questioned Walker’s call on match point and was visibly angered when the chair umpire upheld it, giving Walker the victory.

“The ball was out,” said Walker. “It was 3-1 and he returned it (the passing shot) down the line and it was out. I still would have had two match points after that. . . .

“He said to me afterward, ‘I don’t want to talk to you.’ I think he was upset because he was up 3-0 and a break in the third. I think he handed it to me.”

The UC Irvine men’s team had mixed results Sunday. Darren Yates lost to UCLA’s Brian Garrow, 6-4, 6-2, in the men’s collegiate invitational singles final. Then Yates came back and combined with Julian Barham for a 7-6, 6-3 victory over Andy Olyphant of USC and Robert-Jan Bierens of UCLA in the collegiate invitational doubles final.

After Barham and Yates’ victory, UCI’s Mark Kaplan and Trevor Kronemann defeated Pepperdine’s Craig Johnson and Martin Laurendeau, 7-6, 7-5.

Former Irvine player Steve Ainston lost to Chris Dunk, 7-5, 6-4 in the men’s open singles final. Ainston, who plans to go on the professional tour with another former Anteater, Bruce Man Song Hing, went to Nordoff High School, near Ojai.