Querrey Outlasts Van’t Hof

Sam Querrey has added about four or five inches during a growth spurt over the past two years, but that is nothing compared with how much he has grown as a tennis player since the beginning of the year.

Querrey, a 6-foot-4 sophomore from Thousand Oaks High, added the Ojai Valley tennis tournament to an already impressive list of 2004 victories Saturday when he defeated Kaes Van’t Hof, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6 (5), in the California Interscholastic Federation division final.

Querrey used a decided edge in stamina to outlast Van’t Hof, a Santa Ana Mater Dei senior who earlier in the day played a grueling 2 1/2-hour semifinal match, and staked a claim to the crown of top 16-year-old in the nation.

“Right now, yeah, you could say that,” said Querrey, ranked No. 20 in the nation. “I’ve played awesome lately.” He won local events in Whittier and the South Bay earlier this year and then took the 16-year-old division at the prestigious Easter Bowl tournament in Palm Springs two weeks ago. A big serve and powerful forehand have always been keys to Querrey’s game, but he has added a new element to his arsenal: patience.

Whereas in the past he would try to rip every shot down a line, he’s learning to pick and choose the times to be aggressive.

“I’ve been a little more patient, hitting more balls in play,” he said. “It’s kept me in some points I might not have been in.”

Saturday, he used that strategy and outlasted a weary opponent. Van’t Hof advanced to the final with a 5-7, 6-2, 7-6 (0) semifinal victory over Claremont’s Alex Lane. Early in the final, it appeared that Querrey would win in a rout, but Van’t Hof caught a second wind in the second set, battled in the third set, but finally faded during his second tiebreak on a day when temperatures rose into the low 90’s.

Van’t Hof led, 5-2, in the tiebreaker, but Querrey won the final five points. Van’t Hof made 32 unforced errors compared with 18 for Querrey. On each of the final four points in the tiebreaker, Van’t Hof hit shots into the net.

“I was just getting weak and my shots were going into the net,” Van’t Hof said. “I just lost energy and started getting really tired after a 2 1/2 hour first match. It started getting to me in the second one. It was a definitely a factor.”

It is the third consecutive year Van’t Hof has lost in the finals at Ojai. Last year he lost in the CIF final and in 2002, he lost in the 16-year-old division.

Querrey used his trademark serve for three aces and 12 service winners.

“I just tried to play my regular game,” Querrey said. “A big serve and controlling points with my forehand.”

In the boys’ CIF doubles final, Steve Forman and Eric Riley of Torrey Pines defeated Nick Berger and Nathan Stadler of Redondo, 6-0, 6-1. Torrey Pines and Mater Dei shared the team title with nine points apiece.

Nazlie Ghazal of Temecula defeated Daron Moore of Studio City, 5-7, 6-4, 6-1, in the girls’ 18 final. Sisters Alexandra and Cassandra Strange of Valencia won the girls’ 18 doubles title with a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Rina Nakano of Irvine and Jean A. You of Los Angeles.