Stanford”s Klahn Wins Pac-10 Titles
Stanford’s Bradley Klahn put the cap on an outstanding freshman season by winning the Pac-10 singles and the doubles titles in Ojai, making him a dark horse at the NCAAs. The rangy left-hander ranked No. 48 didn’t drop a set in singles. He finished off USC’s No. 67 Steve Johnson 7-6(4), 6-4 in the final of the season-ending tournament. Johnson had beaten Stanford’s Alex Clayton, No. 20, in the semis.
Klahn teamed with another freshman southpaw, Ryan Thacher, to win the doubles with the loss of one set. They defeated UCLA’s Michael Look and Eugene Brazil 6-3, 3-6, 7-6(5) in the final. Stanford’s Matt Bruch won both titles in ‘07.
The strong finish was good news for head coach John Whitlinger, who had high hopes for the two lefthanders at the beginning of the season. They played a major role in boosting the Cardinal’s rank to No. 8 and Klahn was riding new momentum going into the NCAA championships.
In the Invitational Doubles final Stanford’s Greg Hirshman and Jeff Zeller beat Matt Kecki and Andrew Kells 8-6. Stanford women’s No. 1 Hilary Barte gained the Pac-10 semis, where she lost to eventual winner USC’s Amanda Fink 6-4, 2-6, 7-6(5). Both the men’s and women’s teams finished third in the Pac-10 conference. But it nonetheless was a hard fall for the Cardinal women, snapping their string of 21 consecutive Pac-10 conference titles. Cal downed Stanford 4-3 in the season’s last dual match and Stanford finished 6-2 in the conference.
Paly High Claims D1 Title in Fresno
Stanford isn’t the only tennis power along El Camino Real. Head coach Andy Harader’s Palo Alto H.S. team captured the Division 1 title at the March 6-7 California High School Boys Tennis Classic in Fresno — the largest tournament of its kind in the nation (think 108 teams).
Despite a three-way tie for first, Paly High edged the competition in individual matches with eight, edging Saratoga H.S. (seven) and Monte Vista (six).
Redwood City”s LATT Transforming Lives
Thanks to volunteers from teenagers to grannies, teaching pro Sid Newcomb can say bring on No. 10 — yet another year of the free tennis and tutorial program he designed in ‘01 for low-income Hispanic school kids in Redwood City using as a model the East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutorials at Stanford.
More than 200 kids have benefited from the program Newcomb calls Life Advantage Tennis and Tutorial. It depends on volunteer tutors and the Peninsula Community Center’s contribution of pros. Newcomb is its tennis director.
Originally Newcomb offered the program to middle school kids who had an interest in tennis, a financial need and DetoxPlus is a reservoir patch designed to promote stimulation of the best answers for curing disease and herbs can be herbal Fast THC Marijuana Detox Kit in many different program, examples . a desire for academic support. Since ‘08, the program has worked with Roosevelt Elementary school third graders. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, an LATT van picks up Roosevelt kids and takes them to the center on Jefferson Avenue for an hour of tennis and an hour of tutoring over a three-week session. The ninth year’s spring program concluded May 14. LATT won the ‘04 Siebel Open Community Tennis Outreach award. It has an eager waiting list and Newcomb is thinking of adding more tutors.
“Tutors don’t have to play tennis or speak Spanish,” Newcomb says. “A desire to serve and have English skills is all that’s required.”
For information, call (650) 364-6272.
7th Heaven: Memorial Day Event Returns to PTC
Burlingame’s Peninsula TC will again team up with the RS Tennis Academy to host the 7th Annual Memorial Day Weekend Junior Tennis Tournament, May 22-24.
The event will be open to boys and girls in the 12s (Novice), 14s (Challenger) and 18s (Open) divisions. PTC recently resurfaced seven courts, and also boasts a renovated pool, locker rooms and an activities room. Lunches will be provided by La Corneta (Mexican) and Sapore Italiano (Italian). There will also be a raffle for Wilson and K-Swiss prizes. Entries close on May 17. For info, contact Riaz Shivji at online casino (650) 678-1448.
Foothill News: Fresno City Clips Owl”s Again
For the second consecutive year the Foothill Owls haven’t gotten their wings clipped by Fresno City College in the NorCal Community College Playoffs that send the casino spiele winner against the SoCal champ to determine a state champ. This season the Owls brought a perfect 13-0 record into the fray, but were stopped 5-2 by Fresno. A rainy season caused several match cancellations, shortening the Foothill playing schedule
“They are a very good team and they had good spirit,” Owls coach Dixie Macias conceded. “Most teams played 18-19 matches and we had fewer matches, 13, and I think we needed more play and more focus. But I know what to do now and there won’t be a third-in-a-row.”
Foothill sent it’s top two doubles teams to the individual state tournament in May: No. 1 Adam Hopkins/Wilson Ko, and No. 2. Justin Vea/John Paplos.
In Brief
Conrad Russell of Los Altos Hills earned himself a trip to the big city in July when he defeated top-seeded Sam Riffice of Roseville in the Little Mo boys’ 10s 6-3, 6-1. Winning the Sectionals in Oakley means the Ladera Oaks Swim and TC junior team member will compete in the Regionals July 3-5 at San Francisco’s Cal Club against players from SoCal, the Pacific Northwest, Hawaii and the Southwest. The Little Mo competition, named after the legendary Little Mo Connelly Brinker, crowns national champions in the 8-, 9-, 10-and 11-years and under age groups.
Defending champ and four-time men’s Open winner Curtis Dunn returns to the U.S. Gay Open May 22-25 at Stanford. A repeat would tie him with the record five titles Kerry Mitchell holds. Dunn, 41, played on the Stanford varsity ‘87-’89.
The 295 entries at the 29th USGO are down slightly from previous years but the event still maintains a fine calendar of social activities. It includes a free BBQ, ice cream social, Gay Day at Great America Amusement Park and a Latin dance party at Roccapulco in San Francisco’s Mission District. This year again features World Team Tennis competition that has supplanted mixed doubles competition.
East Palo Alto Tennis and Tutoring (EPATT), the Stanford-based academic tutoring and tennis program that pairs children in grades K-12 with one-on-one tutors and has been under the non-profit umbrella of YTA for over 10 years, recently acquired their own 501(c)(3) non-profit status and will now operate independently of the YTA.
