Saratoga News

The Courtside boys' 15 tennis team won the state title. Team members include (front row, l-r) Adam Horvath, Steven Golod, Bastion Bartels, Adam Fauvre and Stefan Parker; and (back row, l-r) Ryan Fujii, Ben Bartels, Ngon Huynh, Jason Tsui and Mike Kwong.

Boys win state net title

Three Courtside teams in finals

By Dick Sparrer

Stefan Parker and Jason Tsui were not to be denied.

And because of it, neither was the Courtside Tennis Club.

Parker and Tsui pulled out a pair of three-set victories, then teamed for a doubles victory, to lead the Courtside boys' 15-and-under tennis team to the state championship.

Courtside handled the Cabrillo Tennis Club 6-3 in the Gar Glenney Cup finals at Stanford University over the Aug. 23-24 weekend to claim the state crown, and Parker and Tsui teamed for three of the six Courtside wins.

The boys' 15 team was just one of three Courtside squads that won a Northern California championship and a berth in the state finals. The girls' 18 and boys' 12 teams also advanced to the state level with NorCal titles but lost in Glenney Cup finals.

Parker, Tsui and Ryan Fujii led Courtside to the boys' 15 title. The three wrapped up unbeaten seasons in singles play with wins over Cabrillo, and they were also winners in doubles action.

Parker pulled out a tough 6-1, 3-6, 6-4 win at No. 3 singles and Tsui battled from behind to win 2-6, 6-2, 6-0 at No. 4 singles.

Fujii came through with a 6-0, 6-1 win at No. 5 singles to join Parker and Tsui on the undefeated list for the 1997 season.

Bastion Bartels supported with a 6-0, 6-0 win in straight sets at No. 6 to round out the list of singles winners for the Courtside in the finals.

Parker and Tsui teamed for a 6-2, 6-1 win at No. 2 doubles for the champs, and Fujii and Steven Golod joined forces for a tough 6-1, 3-6, 6-3 win at No. 3 doubles to help finish off Cabrillo.

Ben Bartels lost a tough 6-1, 6-4 nod at No. 1 singles, and Ngon Nguyen lost a 7-5, 6-0 heartbreaker at No. 2. The two teamed up at No. 1 doubles, but fell 6-3, 6-3.

Still, Courtside had more than enough victories to pull out the team win and complete a 10-0 season.

Courtside had earned the state berth with a tight 5-4 win over Ross Valley in the Northern California finals.

Parker pulled out a 6-2, 0-6, 6-1 thriller at No. 3 singles, then teamed with Tsui for a 2-6, 6-1, 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles to help Courtside win the crown.

Tsui posted a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 4 singles, and Fujii won 6-1, 6-0 at No. 5 singles. Fujii and Bastion Bartels combined for a 6-3, 7-6 win at No. 3 doubles.

Courtside's girls' 18 squad turned back Ross Valley 5-4 to win the NorCal crown and clinch a state berth. It was the third straight NorCal crown for the Courtside girls.

Camille Behnke, Michelle Forrest and Leah Thomas each won in singles and doubles play to lead the locals to the championship.

Behnke posted a 6-2, 6-3 victory at No. 1 singles, and Forrest nailed a 6-1, 6-1 win at No. 2 singles. The two teamed for a 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 triumph at No. 1 doubles.

Thomas pulled out a 6-4, 0-6, 6-2 win at No. 4 singles, then later joined forces with Robyn Katzman for a 6-3, 6-2 win at No. 2 doubles.

Behnke and Forrest won again at No. 1 doubles in the Gar Glenney Cup, but Courtside lost a tough 5-4 decision to North Orange County.

Forrest notched a 6-4, 6-4 win at No. 2 singles, then joined up with Behnke to win 6-1, 6-3 at No. 1 doubles.

Stephanie Leupp was Courtside's only other singles winner in the match, sweeping to a 6-0, 6-0 victory at No. 6. Tracy Moore and Emily Najour combined for a 6-3, 6-4 win at No. 3 doubles.

But Thomas dropped a 7-6 , 5-7, 6-1 heartbreaker at No. 4 singles, and she and Katzman lost 7-5, 6-3 at No. 2 doubles. Katzman, Behnke and Daphnie Chen also lost in doubles play.

The Courtside boys' 12 team, the defending state champions, returned to the Gar Glenney Cup but lost 6-3 to the Cabrillo Tennis Club.

A.J. Kerin won 6-3, 6-4 at No. 1 singles, and Jay Wong was a 6-3, 6-3 winner at No. 6 singles, but the only other victory Courtside could manage was a 6-1, 3-6, 7-5 win at No. 3 doubles by Nial Brash and Wong.

The Courtside team was playing without No. 2 singles star Eric Huang, who was in Taiwan. With Huang in the line-up, the locals had blanked Alpine Hills 9-0 to win the Northern California championship.

Kerin won 6-2, 6-0 at No. 1 singles, and Huang won 7-6, 6-0 at No. 2 to start the locals on the road to the NorCal championship win. The two teamed for a 6-2 win at No. 1 doubles.

Ken Kao came through with a 6-2, 6-2 triumph at No. 3 singles, Brian Brogan won 6-7, 7-6, 6-2 at No. 4, Brash won 6-4, 3-6, 6-3 at No. 5, and Simon Cheng won 7-6, 4-6, 7-5 at No. 6.

Brash combined with Kao for a 6-2 victory at No. 2 doubles, and Cheng and Ted Hull won 7-6 at No. 3 doubles.

In other NorCal action, the Courtside girls' 15 squad made it to the finals but lost 7-2 to Gold River.

Cristi Green and Amanda Wise teamed for an 8-3 win at No. 2 doubles, and Sheetal Modi and Jessica Cone won 8-6 at No. 3.

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