PREP TENNIS SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS : Woodbridge Puts Up a Tough Fight

Woodbridge didn’t wave a white flag at its Division I semifinal boys’ tennis match against top-seeded Santa Barbara on Thursday at the North Lake Tennis Club in Irvine.

Although the Warriors lost, 16-2, they made the seven-time defending champions sweat. “I’m really impressed with the way they played today,” Woodbridge Coach Joan Willett said. “They have been close in a lot of the matches and they got a chance to see what it takes to be No. 1.”

The fourth-seeded Warriors (21-2), playing with five freshmen and two sophomores, narrowly lost four of 18 sets, 6-4.

In the opening round, sophomore Jonny Biorkman’s effort against Santa Barbara’s Jon Schlobohm in No. 1 singles was typical of how the match unfolded.

Trailing, 5-4, Biorkman nearly broke Schlobohm’s serve after coming up with three consecutive winners. After Schlobohm answered with two winners, he called a baseline smash by Biorkman long, causing a dispute.

Instead of serving with the score tied, 5-5, Biorkman and Schlobohm were even, 40-40, and the Santa Barbara junior later prevailed when Biorkman’s backhand went wide.

Sophomore Reza Farokhpay and freshman Ricky Kaplan also lost, 6-4, in first round No. 1 doubles and freshman Chase Exon dropped a 6-3 set to Ian Carrera at No. 3 singles.

“When you’re down, 6-0, after the first round it is tough to come back,” Willett said. “If it would have been 3-3, the dynamics of things would have changed.”

Freshman Adam Artunian picked up the Warriors’ first point in the second round when he defeated Schlobohm, 6-1. Exon won the other point by defeating Schlobohm, 6-2, in the final round.

The Dons (23-0) will play third-seeded Palos Verdes Peninsula, a 12-6 winner over second-seeded Beverly Hills, in the finals Wednesday.

In the Division II semifinals:

North Hollywood Harvard Westlake 9, Sunny Hills 9 (Harvard Westlake wins on games, 82-76)--Sunny Hills’ Joseph Gilbert, who won, 7-5, 6-0, 6-1, was the only player to win all three sets for either team.

Fourth-seeded Harvard Westlake (21-2) will play second-seeded Palm Desert in the finals Wednesday. Top-seeded Sunny Hills finishes 22-3.

Palm Desert 13, Foothill 5--Freshman Joost Hol swept 7-5, 6-3, 6-2 and Ryan Thompson won two of three sets for Foothill (21-2).