Net Loss Again for Westlake

The third time was no charm for the Westlake High boys’ tennis team, which fell, 10-8, to Beverly Hills in the Southern Section Division III championship match Thursday at Westlake Tennis and Swim Club.

The defeat, completing two days of play after the match was suspended Wednesday because of rain, was the Warriors’ third in a row in a title match. They lost to Beverly Hills last season at the Division II level, and to Harvard-Westlake in Division III in 1997, both by 10-8 margins.

“We know we gave it our best, but it’s still disappointing,” said junior Billy Corso of Westlake, who won one of three sets at No. 1 doubles with Mike Horak.

“Three times in a row. . . . That’s tough. Every year it gets worse and worse.”

When the teams resumed play, the second-seeded Warriors (22-2) held a 5-4 edge, but top-seeded Beverly Hills won four of six sets in the second of three rounds.

Lester Gopaoco and Joe Bubman, No. 3 doubles team for Beverly Hills (17-4), rallied after twice being down a break to beat Corso and Horak, 7-6 (9-7), breaking serve four times in the tiebreaker.

Trailing, 7-5, going into the third round, the Warriors needed to win four of six sets to forge a tie and have a chance to win on games. They came close, taking three sets.

Brian Swatt of Beverly Hills got a 6-2 victory over Erik Janson, Westlake’s No. 1 player, and Gopaoco and Bubman scored a 7-5 decision over Westlake’s No. 2 team of brothers Albert and Allen Kim.

The Warriors’ No. 3 doubles team of sophomore Matt Pardee and freshman Aaron Bert lost, 7-6 (7-4), to Beverly Hills’ No. 1 team of David Nguyen and Anthony Pham, in the decisive set.