Feldman’s Aggressiveness Serves Her Well in City Final : Girls’ tennis: Taft senior finishes career 48-2 after winning singles title in straight sets.

Los Angeles is the second-largest city in the United States, and today Julia Feldman owns it.

The Taft High senior knocked off defending champion Kendra Segura of Dorsey, 6-4, 6-0, to capture the City Section girls’ singles championship Friday at the Racquet Centre.

Feldman finished with a three-year record of 48-2, the losses coming to former teammate Brahna Pastorini in the 1992 final and Segura in the 1993 semifinals. The only challenge left for Feldman was to win the crown.

“It feels very good,” Feldman said. “I wanted it really bad. I’ve been wanting to win this for the last three years. I have a lot of aspirations in tennis, and this is one step toward what I want to accomplish.”

Feldman lost in straight sets to Segura, a sophomore, last year but spent the past year changing her style. She has practiced three to four hours a day under Coach Desi McBride at the Calabasas Park Tennis Club and has become a powerful serve-and-volley player.

Feldman broke Segura’s service three times in each set and was the aggressor throughout. But she also double-faulted five times and was broken by Segura twice in the opening set.

Feldman then began hitting for winners on serve to take the first game of the second set. She broke Segura with a screaming backhand crossing shot to lead, 2-0, and had three more winners and an ace to win the third game.

Segura, a smooth, quiet counterpuncher who defeated Pastorini last year after dropping the first set, was still a dangerous opponent. But she relented while serving at love-three.

With the fourth game at deuce, Feldman hit a forehand return winner, then Segura hit a backhand long to make it 4-0.

Feldman finished Segura with three service winners and a winning forehand to lead, 5-0. On set point, Segura double-faulted.

“After the first set I got more confident,” Feldman said. “I don’t know if she got frustrated, but I decided to go for it. I didn’t want to let her get back in.”

Indeed, Feldman overpowered Segura with 24 winners, 12 in each set, three aces and nine service winners.

Segura gave Feldman a scare in the first set, breaking her opening service to lead, 1-0, and pushing Feldman to deuce three times.

Down 5-2, Segura held serve then broke Feldman to make it 5-4. Serving and trying to tie at 5-5, Segura let Feldman break back and win the set when her attempt at a backhand winner was an inch wide.

“I made so many unforced errors,” said Segura, who was coming off a six-month layoff because of a back problem. “My feet weren’t moving and my mechanics weren’t with me.”