Weiss, Bayani Fall Short in Bids for Tennis Titles

Nick Weiss of Calabasas and Bernadette Bayani of Simi Valley came up short Sunday in their bids to capture titles in the Southern California Junior Tennis Championships.

Weiss, 15, fell to top-seeded John Paul Fruttero of San Marino, 6-4, 6-0, in the final of the boys’ 16-and-under division at the Los Caballeros Sports Village.

Bayani, 14, was beaten by second-seeded Tiffany Brymer of Apple Valley, 6-4, 6-1, in the girls’ 16s championship match.

Weiss, seeded third, was chasing his second consecutive title after winning the 14s last year and fourth-seeded Bayani was trying to win for the first time since her 10-year-old division triumph in 1992.

Weiss and Fruttero, ranked No. 1 in the nation, each held serve until Fruttero broke Weiss’ serve in the 10th game of the first set to win.

Weiss’ serve failed him in the second set and he was broken three times.

“All credit to him,” Weiss said. “He was hitting the ball real well.”

Bayani held a 2-1 lead in the first set but was overpowered by the 5-foot-11, serve-and-volleyer, who avenged a three-set loss earlier in the year.

“Her first serve was a lot harder today,” Bayani said. “She was pushing me off the court. She made my returns kind of weak.”