HIGH SCHOOL TENNIS / SOUTHERN SECTION CHAMPIONSHIPS : Senior Ghidirmic Tops Park for Title

San Marino High freshman sensation Andrew Park impressed many by earning a berth into the Southern Section individual tennis championships Saturday at the Sea Cliff Tennis Club in Huntington Beach.

But Eni Ghidirmic of Palm Desert left the more lasting impression after defeating Park, 6-2, 6-2, in the singles championship.

Palm Desert swept the individual titles when the doubles team of Dan Battistone and Andy Scorteneau defeated Santa Barbara’s Bryan Corlett and Dave Armstrong, 6-1, 6-2.

Ghidirmic and Park coasted to straight-set victories in their morning semifinal matches, but Ghidirmic looked stronger for the afternoon final.

“I did a little better than I thought I would,” said Park, who scored a come-from-behind, three-set victory over top-seeded Adam Webster of Santa Barbara in the quarterfinals Friday. “Hopefully, I’ll do a little better next year.”

Ghidirmic, who defeated Park, 6-4, at Palm Desert during the regular season, recorded three service breaks and took the last four games to win the first set.

Ghidirmic, who led, 3-2, in the second set after both players had failed to hold service, broke the trend in the sixth game after overcoming a break point to hold serve for a 4-2 lead.

The third-seeded senior closed out the match with a service winner.

“I felt a little nervous about playing against a freshman, but I was real pumped up for this match,” said Ghidirmic, who moved to the United States from Romania in 1990. “Playing him before, helped me today. I knew what to expect from him.”

Said Park, the 14-and-under national champion last year: “He played much better this time. Every time there was a big point, he either hit an ace or hit it so hard I couldn’t return it. I really couldn’t do much to stop him.”