Perfect Finish for Slotnick, Linder

It was only fitting that Shannon Slotnick and Caryn Linder ended their high school careers Monday by winning the City Section doubles tournament.

After all, the two Granada Hills seniors have done nothing but win since forming a partnership at the start of last season.

But what made their last match together especially difficult was not as much the opposition’s strokes as the school initials on the opposition’s uniforms--they were identical to theirs.

Slotnick and Linder defeated Highlander teammates Andrea Blieden and Tracey Takeshita, 7-6 (7-5), 4-6, 6-2, in the finals at the Balboa Tennis Center to complete their second consecutive undefeated season--a streak that spanned 36 matches.

“It was so much harder playing our own teammates because we can’t play any tricks on them,” Slotnick said. “We hit with them every day in practice, so we know their games and they know ours. There’s not a lot of things you can change.”

Granada Hills’ top player, Jasmin Dao, lost to unseeded Charlana Brown of LACES, 6-3, 6-1, in the third-place singles match. Moe Moe Myinttun of Fairfax upset top-seeded Judith De Vera of Carson, 7-5, 3-6, 6-1 to win the singles championship.