Jovanovski Extends Mastery of Knizek in City Singles Final

North Hollywood High tennis player Dragan Jovanovski, two years removed from Yugoslavia, needed just 65 minutes Wednesday to dispose of Grant senior Paul Knizek, en emigre from Czechoslovakia.

Jovanovski, a junior, was seldom challenged during a 6-3, 6-3 victory in the City Section singles championship at The Racquet Centre in Studio City.

In the doubles final, brothers Roel and Rene DeVera of Carson handed Derek Halpern and Andy Kimelman of Taft a 6-1, 6-2 defeat.

Jovanovski, who speaks with a strong accent, might have met his most serious challenge in his post-match interview with reporters.

“Today wasn’t close, but it does not surprise me,” he said, politely repeating himself to ensure an understanding. “I believe one day I would beat him easy in a tournament, and (Wednesday) is the day.”

The match clearly belonged to Jovanovski, who practices with Knizek on a weekly basis and entered Wednesday having won each of his three high school matches against Knizek.

An injury to Jovanovski’s right shin prevented him from charging the net, but might have ultimately led to victory. He stayed at the baseline and hammered forehands and backhands past a defenseless Knizek.

“I thought he would come to the net more often, and when he didn’t, I made too many mistakes,” Knizek said.

Leading, 2-1, in the first set, Jovanovski broke Knizek’s serve twice and held his own to take a 5-1 lead. Knizek came back with a service break and held serve to pull within 5-3 before gaining a double break point.

But Jovanovski came back with a serve that Knizek couldn’t handle and Knizek committed two unforced errors to drop the game and set.

In the second set, Jovanovski broke Knizek twice to take a 4-1 lead. Knizek came back to break Jovanovski and held serve to pull within 4-3. After Jovanovski held serve, Knizek hit a backhand past the baseline to lose his serve and the match.

“I tried to keep the ball in court and use every chance to hit a winner,” Jovanovski said. “Because of my pain, I tried to hit the ball stronger from the baseline. I was hitting my ground strokes good, so I did not have a reason to come to the net.”

Grant’s Marc Simon finished third in singles when Banning’s Robert Johnson, the No. 1 seeded player and a loser to Knizek in the semifinals, defaulted because of an injury. In the third-place doubles match, Westchester’s Aaron Polk and Omar Yassin defeated Taft’s Robert Polak and Eric Ficksman, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.