Mann, Varvais Want Redemption

Nobody would blame Dylan Mann if, at this point, he was concentrating more on his future accommodations in Gainesville, Fla., than playing in a junior tennis tournament at a racquet club in Orange County.

After all, the Canoga Park teenager is headed to the University of Florida on scholarship in the fall.

Change the destination and ditto goes for Nick Varvais of Simi Valley, who will be attending UC Irvine.

If only it weren’t for their pride.

“I’m actually more motivated than ever,” Varvais said.

By earning scholarships, Mann and Varvais are halfway to realizing their dreams. A career on the professional tour would cap it off.

But first things first. Both players feel they have business left to finish in the Southern California Junior Sectional Championships beginning today at Los Caballeros Sports Village. The tournament is the largest of its kind in the United States, with about 1,700 competitors in 12 divisions.

Mann, seeded seventh, would like to improve on what he called a satisfactory yet unsatisfying performance last year. Varvais, seeded eighth, would love to recapture the lightning he carried in his racket last year when he upset players seeded first, third and sixth.

Both players were eliminated in the quarterfinal round.

“In the past, I guess the results were important for college, but that’s not why I played,” Mann said. “I love to play tennis.”

And Florida rewarded Mann for his devotion.

Mann was not seeded last year, but he got on an early roll before losing, 6-0, 6-3, to David White, another unseeded player. White went on to lose in the final. Mann was a decisive loser in his first match in the consolation bracket.

“I didn’t do anything wrong, but I didn’t accomplish anything,” Mann said. “I didn’t beat anybody ahead of me. I can’t feel bad about that, but it wasn’t progress.”

Varvais, 16, appears to have stagnated since he won the consolation bracket of the section last year after losing to eventual champion Geoff Abrams in a quarterfinal match.

Five weeks later, he was a surprise second-round loser in the 18-and-under national tournament. He also failed to defend his 1995 championship in the Ojai Valley Championships, losing against Abrams in the semifinals. Varvais was actually seeded higher in last year’s sectional: seventh.

Varvais has fond memories of his rise in the sectional last year, including a 6-0, 6-2 trouncing of stablemate Jason Cook, who was seeded No. 1.

“I thought he was my coach’s favorite student,” Varvais said. “I wanted to [beat him] so bad.”

Varvais can count on having a scholarship for the next four years.

Now he can concentrate on winning for the sake of winning.

“Everything’s pretty much sealed,” he said. “I feel I’m better than these guys ahead of me.”