Warriors Suffer Third-Round KO

Top-seeded Beverly Hills withstood a scare from second-seeded Troy and held on to win its first Southern Section girls’ tennis title in 25 years, 12-6, Monday at the Claremont Club in the Division II final.

Beverly Hills (24-2) and Troy (21-3) were tied, 6-6, after two rounds, but the Normans swept all six sets in the last round.

Beverly Hills’ No. 1 singles player, Iris Ichim, and the No. 3 doubles team of Beth Eisenstein and Nicole Lieberman keyed the victory. Ichim, a freshman, swept her sets, 6-2, 6-3, 6-1.

Afterward, Ichim announced that she is ending her high school tennis career and considering the possibility of turning pro. Eisenstein and Lieberman took two sets, including an upset of Troy’s No. 1 team of Michelle Dinh and Karen Eitan.

The Warriors played inspired tennis for two rounds, but their emotions got the best of them in the last round.

“I think the idea of us actually having a chance to win hit us,” said junior Veronica Fermin, who teamed with Stacey Lee at No. 2 doubles to win two sets, “and it tightened us up.”

Troy Coach Donna Judd said her team simply ran out of miracles against Beverly Hills, which suffered its only two losses to Palos Verdes Peninsula.

“We were the heavy underdog,” said Judd, whose team lost in the Division II final for the second straight year. “We just ran out of gas emotionally.”