PREP ROUNDUP : Mental Game Lets Denson Win Sea View Tennis Title

The Sea View League singles tournament is turning into the Sarah Denson Open. Denson, a sophomore at Irvine High, made it two titles in two years Thursday at the Balboa Bay Racquet Club with a convincing 6-4, 6-3 victory over Corona del Mar freshman Nina Vaughan.

Denson’s victory made up for a sub-par regular season in which she was beaten eight times in 24 sets. In the semifinals, the fourth-seeded Denson upset top-seeded Sarah Hawkins of Newport Harbor, 7-5, 1-6, 6-0.

“My goal this season was to win league again,” Denson said. “I didn’t look at my past records, because my record wasn’t very good. My problem was my head. (Tennis) is all mental.”

The second-seeded Vaughan, who defeated Denson twice in the regular season, conceded Denson had more motivation than she did.

“Sarah had just beaten Sarah Hawkins in the semifinals, so I knew it was going to be tough to beat her. She was really pumped,” said Vaughan, who won 51 of 55 sets during the season.

”. . . Sarah didn’t make any mistakes. She deserved to win. She really wanted it.”

Denson and Vaughan both qualify for the Southern Section individual sectionals to be played Nov. 19 at Huntington Beach High. But Denson, who lost in the second round of the sectionals last year, said she still has some mental work to do before then.

“It’s not completely worked out,” she said. “I’m seeing a sports psychologist. Tennis isn’t really a physical game. It’s more mental.”

Corona del Mar’s Megan Wachtler and Alissa Scott won the doubles title beating teammates Christie O’Meara and Jenny Glasgow, 6-1, 6-3.