Southern Section Tennis Championships : Mancisdor Beats Leach for Singles Title

Slow-starting Alejo Mancisdor of Palm Springs High School rallied from a one-set deficit Saturday to win the Southern Section boys’ singles tennis title with a 3-6, 6-2, 6-1 victory over Jon Leach of Laguna Beach at Huntington Beach’s Seacliff Tennis Club.

The top-seeded Mancisdor--from San Sebastian, Spain--used a patient attack to ward off the second-seeded Leach.

Although both were undefeated, Mancisdor, a senior, was seeded No. 1 because he had won the 17-18 division at the prestigious Ojai tournament earlier in the season. Leach, a sophomore, won the 15-16 division.

Leach, whose brother Rick is one of the world’s best doubles players, broke Mancisdor three times in the first set to take control. But as the set progressed, Mancisdor established his game, and he was devastating in winning the next two sets.

Leach, who won the individual title as a freshman, successfully attacked the net on Mancisdor’s short shots in the first set, so Mancisdor simply changed strategy. He started hitting deep passing shots, which forced Leach to stay on the baseline.

Also, Mancisdor (28-0) improved his serving and service return. That proved to be the difference.

“When Leach stayed back after the first set it was a fatal mistake,” Palm Springs Coach Larry Kast said.

Laguna Beach Coach Bob Walton agreed: “Jon has been able to stay back and beat most of the players he’s played this year, but Alejo is too good to do that.”

It was the first time the players met. Mancisdor came to the United States to train with pro Jose Higueras.

Because he lived with Higueras, Mancisdor was ineligible to compete in last year’s championships under California Interscholastic Federation rules. Foreign athletes not living with their parents cannot play their first year, said Bill Clark, a Southern Section administrator.

Leach, whose father Dick coaches the USC men’s team, finished the season with a 61-1 record.

In the doubles championship, the Corona del Mar team of Rob Atkin and Doug Schulein beat top-seeded Peter Morawiecki and Brian Giffin of Camarillo, 7-5, 7-6 (7-2). Atkin-Schulein were seeded second.