Soft Touch Too Tough for Pleasant : Rao Derails Volleys With Lob Barrage

Darin Pleasant had been using the 10th Summer Juniors Tennis tournament at the Racquet Centre in Universal City this weekend to work on his serve-and-volley game. Maybe he should have worked on his hit-and-run.

Robert Rao, Pleasant’s opponent in the final of the boys’ 18-and-under division, counterattacked Pleasant’s title bid with a precision array of shots to record a 2-6, 6-4, 6-0 victory. He negated Pleasant’s aggressive play at the net with passing shots and lobs that Pleasant could neither run down nor hit.

“He hit a lot of good top-spin shots and passing shots,” said Pleasant, who recently graduated from Westlake High. “But I should have been able to adjust.”

Rao did what Pleasant could not.

Pleasant dominated the first set after staking Rao to a 2-1 lead. Pleasant followed his strong serves to the net and put away point after point as Rao struggled with the returns. Pleasant broke Rao’s serve twice at the end of the first set.

But Rao turned the tide in the second set. Instead of trying to blast the ball through Pleasant, Rao hit winners around him. As many times as Pleasant put away points at the net in the second set, he had to scurry back in pursuit of Rao lobs or cross-court winners.

And after Pleasant held serve to tie the score, 4-4, in the second set, Rao held his to take a 5-4 lead and then broke Pleasant’s service to win the set. Pleasant opened his service with a double fault, attempted a passing shot that went wide and then tapped a dink into the net to give Rao triple-set point.

Pleasant won the next two points on strong serves that Rao returned wide, but Rao put the set away with a lob. “I let up,” Pleasant said. “I was thinking about finishing the match instead of each point.”

Rao gave up only eight points in the third set to finish off Pleasant.

Despite the loss, the Thousand Oaks resident was optimistic about his chances in a national tournament next week in Northern California. Pleasant, who will attend Moorpark College next season, may have been beaten at serve-and-volley, but he thinks he can adjust. “It depends on who I play--if I play serve-and-volley or baseline,” Pleasant said. “I’d just as soon play at the net.”

North Hollywood’s Arnold Thomloi--whose older brother Art lost to Pleasant in the 18-and-under semifinals Friday--beat Reid Slattery, 4-6, 6-2, 6-3, to win the boys’ 14-and-under title. Gary Potter of Thousand Oaks won the boys’ 16-and-under by beating Scott Hansen, 6-2, 6-2.

Nancine Hayden of Ojai beat Jennifer Cotone of North Hollywood, 6-3, 7-5, to win the girls’ 16-and-under, and Monterey Park’s Ali Yoshimoto beat Jeannette Davis of Simi Valley, 6-3, 6-4, to win the girls’ 18-and-under.