Southern Section Girls’ Tennis Finals : Miraleste’s Po Is Champion

Kim Po of Rancho Palos Verdes Miraleste High School beat Danielle Scott of Newport Beach Corona del Mar, 6-1, 6-4, to win the Southern Section girls’ individual tennis championship at Irvine Racquet Club Saturday.

Po, a junior ranked third in the national 16-year-old age group, had an easy time of it in the first set, then overcame Scott’s challenge in the second set.

Scott held serve for a 4-3 lead in the second, but Po held serve to tie at 4-4, then overpowered the tiring Scott.

Scott, a senior, had only about 30 minutes rest between the semifinal and the final.

She played a two-hour semifinal, beating a pesky Laura Kimel of Santa Barbara Dos Pueblos, 7-6, 6-3. Po’s 6-2, 6-2 semifinal win over Annika Wasserman of Los Angeles lasted only an hour, allowing her more time to rest.

“I really wanted to win this,” Po said. “No one from Miraleste has ever won the singles title. Plus our school is closing after this year.”

Miraleste also won Saturday’s doubles final. Tricia Simpson and Erica Hanson beat Rachel Collins and Kristen Smith of Thousand Oaks, 6-4, 6-3.