City Tennis : Payes Rallies for Third Title

After the first set of Thursday’s City individual tennis final at the Racquet Centre in Studio City, Giora Payes of Fairfax High School didn’t look like a two-time defending champion.

His opponent, Carson’s Anthony Cortez, drilled winner after winner and took the first set from a less-than-inspired Payes.

But Payes rebounded like a champion should, winning the next two sets and the match, 4-6, 6-2, 6-2. Payes becomes only the second player to win three straight City titles, joining Bruce Manson of Van Nuys Grant, who won three straight from 1972-1974.

Payes struggled at the outset, and Cortez took advantage, as he did something that only Larry Pearl of Taft had done previously in City competition--won a set from Payes. Cortez, a junior, came out aggressively, going right at Payes with a blistering forehand. Cortez hit several winners that Payes couldn’t even get to.

“He was just whaling,” Payes said. “He was playing real well and I started off slow. (But) I didn’t think he could keep it up throughout the match.”

Payes was proved right in the second set. After an adjustment in his footwork, Payes started to play better while Cortez began making unforced errors. The result was a 6-2 win for Payes.

In the third set, Cortez continued to make unforced errors, and Payes didn’t let up. After splitting the first two games, Payes won three straight games to take a 4-1 lead.

Cortez came back to win a game and make it 4-2, but Payes closed out the match by winning eight straight points for a 6-2 win.

And so ends the high school career of Payes, who has dominated City tennis for three years. Next year, he’ll be at UCLA.

In Wednesday’s editions, it was reported that Eagle Rock won the City 3-A title when Jung Suh defeated O’Neal Spicer of Marshall. Actually, Suh defeated Bob Cubaleski in the clinching match.