Theirs Is Not Exactly the Ideal Double-Date

Erin Carroll and Joe Chrisman have watched enough tennis on television to know how life might be in Ojai this week.

Like Siberia.

Carroll and Chrisman, Ventura High singles players in search of scholarships, are playing doubles.

They know the drill. Once the singles title has been determined and the post-match interviews are complete, the telecast is over.

After crushing their first four opponents, Carroll and Chrisman will play their Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament interscholastic division semifinal match on the small, secluded campus of The Thacher School.

“We should be able to play both singles and doubles,” said Carroll, who won the boys’ 16-and-under division here last year. “But this is the way it’s been for a thousand years.”

Tournament rules limit schools to one singles player and one doubles team in the Ojai Valley Tennis Tournament.

Carroll and Chrisman realize this is the only way both can win.

“If he played singles, then I would be playing doubles with a scrub,” Chrisman said. “I have to do enough carrying with him on my team.”

Jokes aside, Carroll, 16, and Chrisman, 17, seeded No. 1, appear to be two horses in a stable of ponies.

Both stand 6-foot-1 and have big serves. Both have strong ground strokes and good court sense. Chrisman is left handed, which means they can cover the court with forehands.

Both are ranked among the top 20 singles players in Southern California in the 18s.

Both will be angry if they don’t win--particularly Chrisman. He hasn’t won an important junior tournament in four years.

“I’ve been to the semis and the quarters of a lot of tournaments,” he said. “That’s usually where I sit.”

Carroll, who has trouble controlling his anger, will probably throw a fit. He made a deal with his mother. For each tournament he doesn’t get caught swearing, throwing his racket or a tantrum, he get’s $20. If he gets busted, he pays $20. So far, Carroll’s one Andrew Jackson ahead.

“It’s cleaning my head up,” he said.

Carroll and Chrisman opened with a 6-0, 6-2 victory over Richard Norwood and Nathan White of San Diego Scripps Ranch and followed with a 6-0, 6-0 victory over Scott Koller and Michael Le of Carson.

On Friday, Carroll and Chrisman rolled over Nick Amido and Jamie Sahara of Santa Maria St. Joseph, 6-0, 6-2, and Greg Levy and Brandon Shainfeld of Woodbridge, 6-3, 6-2.

Today they face Tony Congdon and Mark Windes of Bakersfield Centennial.

Title or no title, Chrisman accepted a scholarship to California on Thursday. He also considered Dartmouth.

“I want to stay out here and play competitive tennis and reach my full potential,” he said. “I’m not even close to it at this point.”

Carroll, a junior, has another year to decide. But a number of college coaches found directions to Thacher School and have been peeking at him through the fence.

“It makes me a little nervous,” Carroll said. “But it’s good. I want to sign early and not have to worry about it.”

One other thing.

“I’m definitely going to play singles next year,” he said.