Palisades Wins 4-A Tennis Title

Before the tennis season began, North Hollywood High Coach Peter Bristol made a bold prediction. After evaluating the talent on his squad and throughout the city, he concluded that North Hollywood would meet Palisades in the City Section 4-A championship.

Bristol had history on his side in making the preseason forecast. During the 1980s, North Hollywood and Palisades had met for the City championship three times and squared off in the semifinals twice. North Hollywood defeated Palisades only once, in the 1984 City final, but was later stripped of its title for using an illegal lineup.

On Tuesday, Bristol’s prediction proved to be accurate. North Hollywood and Palisades played once more for the City championship at The Racquet Centre in Studio City. Predictably, Palisades won convincingly, 22 1/2-7, for its ninth City title in the last 10 years.

The loss left Bristol to wonder when he would beat Palisades.

“When do you think I might win the state lottery?” Bristol said.

Palisades (17-2) dominated most of the matches, especially the doubles.

“They’re a good two or three strong in their doubles teams,” Bristol said. “That’s where they beat us. All our doubles are solid, none are superstars.”

Palisades won seven of the nine doubles sets. North Hollywood’s Ron Kipnis and Chris Martinez beat Scott Stokdyk and Drake Jantzen, 7-5, and Adam Pines and Mitch Rose defeated Palisades’ Gordon Kolodny and Ian Curren, 6-2, to avert a Dolphin sweep.

North Hollywood (14-1) won only four of the sixteen singles sets, with three of those wins coming against Karl Narsi, Palisades’ No. 3 player.