TENNIS TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS : Phebus Collects Key Points, Title

Keri Phebus swept past Jennifer Baker, 7-6, 6-2, to win the 18-and-under division of the Seventeen Magazine Tennis Tournament of Champions Saturday at the Marguerite Recreation Center.

And then she called herself lucky.

“I just . . . won all the key points,” said Phebus, a 16-year-old sophomore at Corona del Mar High School. “It happened in a lot of my matches.”

Rest assured, however, talent played a large part in Phebus’ victory, her second consecutive Seventeen title.

Baker, a 17-year-old from Wesley Chapel, Ohio, gave Phebus fits in the first set with a barrage of short shots. Phebus said it was a far different game than the baseline players she had faced in earlier rounds.

There also were other obstacles to clear Saturday.

Phebus’ serve, strong though rarely overpowering, was off the mark early in the match. She had seven double faults in the first set.

Further, she said she felt sluggish from the semifinals and quarterfinals held Friday.

“I was having trouble just moving,” she said.

But Phebus, who dropped the first two games, rallied.

Baker, having broken Phebus’ serve, was leading, 5-4, and serving for the first set when Phebus snapped out of her lethargy.

“I knew I had to buckle down and start winning some key points,” she said. “I was really lucky that whole match.”

Phebus went up, 6-5, but Baker forced a tiebreaker. From that point on, Phebus overwhelmed her opponent.

She won the tiebreaker, 7-4, then blitzed Baker with a stream of passing shots she couldn’t return in the second set.

“I started playing better once I got used to playing her style of game,” said Phebus, who won the 16s title at the Tournament of Champions last year. “My serve in the first set was worse than terrible. When my serve’s not working, everything else falls apart.”

She began serving better, double faulting once in the second set, and Baker seemed defenseless.

Phebus, who turned 16 Wednesday, said she will next turn her attention to the Junior Nationals 18s in August at San Jose.

Two other finals were decided Saturday.

The 14s final featured a cross-town battle between Palos Verdes residents Lindsay Davenport and Janet Lee with Davenport, the top seeded player, winning, 7-6, 6-1. In the 16s, Jill Craybas of East Greenwich, R.I., defeated Ditta Huber of La Jolla, 6-0, 6-1.