Southern Section

Friday, Dec. 5

INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT
At SeaCliff Country Club, Huntington Beach

Riza Zalameda, an avid admirer of Wimbledon champion Roger Federer, wanted to play a match worthy of the Swiss tennis star.

“I’m inspired by him,” Zalameda said. “He makes tennis an art.”

The Beverly High senior didn’t quite create her own masterpiece, but she painted the lines well enough to beat Villa Park senior Lindsey Nelson, 7-5, 6-3, in the singles title match Friday at SeaCliff Country Club.

“I’m honored,” said Zalameda, who becomes her school’s first Southern Section champion since Cheryl Jones in 1980. “I wanted to win this tournament because everyone in school was saying I could. I try to prove to myself that I can do this.”

Nelson, who will compete for USC next year, lost in the championship match for the third consecutive year, becoming the only player to lose in the final three times in a row.

She was also, however, only the third player to advance to three successive title matches, after Barbara Hallquist of Arcadia (1972-74) and Kelly Henry of Glendale (1977-79).

“It’s heart-breaking. It’s really heart-breaking,” Nelson said. “I could have walked away last year after losing twice. But I came back out because I love the game and I love to compete, and I did that.”

Zalameda, who will play at UCLA next year, employed drop and slice volleys to erase 3-1 and 4-2 first-set deficits and beat Nelson on key points the rest of the way. The two played through nine deuce points before Zalameda held serve and won the first game of the second set.

“She worked so hard; I worked so hard; I wasn’t going to give up,” Zalameda said. “I really gave myself a pat on the back for running down all those balls.”

So did Nelson.

“Her net game is beautiful,” she said. “I’m not used to playing against that, and she played a really smart game by coming forward.”

Peninsula’s Macall Harkins and Erica Schweyer won the doubles championship with a 6-3, 6-3 victory over Beverly Hills’ Tessa Tran and Tova Hausman in a reversal of the outcome of their meeting in the Bay League tournament title match.
--Lauren Peterson

Finals

SINGLES-Riza Zalameda, Beverly Hills d. Lindsey Nelson, Villa Park, 7-5, 6-3.

DOUBLES-Macall Harkins-Erica Schweyer, Peninsula d. Tessa Tran-Tova Hausman, Beverly Hills, 6-3, 6-3.

Semifinals

SINGLES-Lindsey Nelson, Villa Park d. Celia Durkin, Calabasas, 6-2, 7-6 (2); Riza Zalameda, Beverly Hills d. Vania King, Long Beach Poly, 6-1, 6-2.

DOUBLES-Macall Harkins-Erica Schweyer, Peninsula d. Cheyenne Reveche-Katarina Reveche, Campbell Hall, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3; Tessa Tran-Tova Hausman, Beverly Hills d. Mindy King-Gina Vitale, Long Beach Poly, 6-2, 6-3.

Thursday, Dec. 4

SOUTHERN SECTION INDIVIDUAL TOURNAMENT

Huntington Beach, at SeaCliff Country Club
Quarterfinals

SINGLES--Lindsey Nelson, Villa Park d. Nazlie Ghazal, Chaparral, 6-3, 6-0; Celia Durkin, Calabasas d. Ivana King, Long Beach Poly, 6-1, 6-1.
Riza Zalameda, Beverly Hills d. Ally Krasnopolsky, Campbell Hall, 6-1, 4-6, 6-0; Vania King, Long Beach Poly d. Cosmina Ciobanu, Troy, 7-5, 6-1.

DOUBLES--Cheyenne Reveche-Katarina Reveche, Campbell Hall d. Amy Beck-Kendra Ivey, Dana Hills, 6-1, 6-2; Macall Harkins-Erica Schweyer, Peninsula d. Erynne Oki-Aimee Oki, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame, 6-3, 6-0.Tessa Tran-Tova Hausman, Beverly Hills d. Jane Huh-Ashley Alger, Marlborough, 5-7, 6-4, 6-0; Mindy King-Gina Vitale, Long Beach Poly d. Katie Ochwat-Lorren Butterwick, 1-6, 6-3, 6-1.

ROUND OF 16

SINGLES--Lindsey Nelson, Villa Park d. Yasaman Sakhakorn, Saugus, 6-2, 6-0; Nazlie Ghazal, Chaparral d. Claire Rietsch, 6-3, 6-0; Celia Durkin, Calabasas d. Daron Moore, 7-5, 6-4; Ivana King, Long Beach Poly d. Gia Nafarrete, Los Alamitos, 6-3, 6-1.
Riza Zalameda, Beverly Hills d. Maggie Mello, Mission Viejo, injury default; Ally Krasnopolsky, Campbell Hall d. Kristen McVitty, Calabasas 4-6, 6-4, 6-0; Cosmina Ciobanu, Troy d. Mykala Hedberg, Oxnard, 6-3, 6-2; Vania King, Long Beach Poly d. Brittany Blalock, Palm Desert, 6-0, 6-2.

DOUBLES--Cheyenne Reveche-Katarina Reveche, Campbell Hall d. A.J. Olson-Diana Khoury, Newport Harbor, 6-1, 6-2; Amy Beck-Kendra Ivey, Dana Hills d. Brooke Robertson-Kristin Teufel, Santa Barbara, 6-2, 6-2; Erynne Oki-Aimee Oki, Sherman Oaks Notre Dame d. Jackie Reed-Kellie Ammerman, Laguna Beach, 6-4, 6-3; Macall Harkins-Erica Schweyer, Peninsula d. Christine Abayan-Tyna Dao, Murrieta Valley, 6-1, 6-0.
Tessa Tran-Tova Hausman, Beverly Hills d. Claudia Vazquez-Lara Aragon, Redlands, 6-2, 6-2; Jane Huh-Ashley Alger, Marlborough d. Bonnie Adams-Vanessa Dunlap, Newport Harbor, 0-6, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (5); Mindy King-Gina Vitale, Long Beach Poly d. Lisa Steckmest-Stephanie Marlis, Brentwood, 6-4, 7-5; Katie Ochwat-Lorren Butterwick, Laguna Beach d. Melissa Oliver-Amanda Jeberjahn, San Luis Obispo, 7-5, 6-2.