SOUTHERN SECTION GIRLS’ TENNIS CHAMPIONSHIPS : DIVISION III : Coach’s Sudden Change in Strategy Backfires on El Dorado

El Dorado’s heartbreaking 9-9 (79-73 in games) loss to Pasadena Poly in the Southern Section Division III girls’ tennis finals Tuesday was decided when Poly’s Anuba Sarohia defeated the Golden Hawks’ Yetee Osunsanmi, 6-4, in the last set of the match.

But El Dorado Coach John Cyrus disagrees. He says the match at the Claremont Tennis Club was decided before it started, during the lineup exchanges.

“The loss is mine,” said Cyrus, whose team won a 9-9 match against top-seeded Hemet in the semifinals. “I was toying with changing lineups, but I didn’t do it. The blame is mine. I was going to stack doubles. I second-guessed myself, which I never do.”

Cyrus said the match should have never come down Osunsanmi, a sophomore playing No. 3 singles, having to beat Sarohia, Poly’s No. 2 singles player, to protect El Dorado’s 9-8 lead. He said the Golden Hawks (22-6) would have prevailed if he had moved one of his singles players, whom he would not name, to doubles.

“You can’t worry about being nice,” he said. “You have to coach. I’ve learned a lesson.”

Third-seeded Poly (23-1) and unseeded El Dorado were tied after each round and it appeared as though the match would come down to the game score, which Poly led throughout.

When El Dorado sophomore Michelle Weisz defeated Poly’s Diana Kim, 6-3, the Golden Hawks went ahead, 9-8. At the time, Osunsanmi led, 4-2. But she was broken twice and never won another game.

“I felt deep inside that Yetee could win,” Cyrus said. “But part of her being a young player is she wasn’t as confident in herself as I was.”

Osunsanmi won one of three sets at No. 3 singles; Weisz and Linda Surapruik took two of three sets at No. 1 and No. 2 singles.

El Dorado’s Brittany McMillian and Susan Surapruik swept at No. 1 doubles, 6-3, 6-4, 6-0; Kiki Lindquist and Amanda Miller and Jana Lind and Janis Dietrick took only one of three sets at No. 2 and No. 3 doubles.

Poly Coach Howard Farer, who had won back-to-back Division IV titles in 1992 and 1993, said his team was fortunate to win.

“We knew it was going to come down to games,” Farer said. “They’re the only team in the division that could match up with us strength to strength. They’re a very good team. They’ve only got one senior and we do, too. We might both be back here next year.”

Cyrus agrees.

“You have to walk before you can run,” he said. “We’ve walked. Next year we’ll be running.”