TENNIS ROUNDUP : Newport Harbor’s Abrams Stays Loose to Win Title

Concentration was the key for Newport Harbor freshman Geoff Abrams, who clinched the Sea View League singles tennis title with a 6-1, 6-4 victory over top-seeded Jason Meyers of University Wednesday at the Newport Beach Tennis Club.

“It’s definitely a nice win,” the third-seeded Abrams said. “My goal is to win CIF, and I look at this as a steppingstone.”

It wasn’t all easy for Abrams though.

A forehand passing shot down the line gave Meyers a service break in the second set, allowing him to go up, 4-2. Abrams, nationally ranked in the top 10 in the 16s, broke back twice and held serve to win the set, 6-4.

“The key for me to play well is to relax,” Abrams said. “If I tense up, I worry where the ball is going, then I’m not executing my shots.”

That was the case in the semifinals when second-seeded Eric Peterson, also of University, took Abrams to a third set after winning a second-set tiebreaker, 7-5. Abrams won, 6-3, 6-7, 6-2.

Meyers beat Saddleback’s An Nguyen, 6-2, 6-4, in the semifinals.

In doubles, top-seeded Trenton Rhodes and Brian Walden of Corona del Mar had little trouble defeating teammates Jed Weinstein and Beat Baudenbacher, 6-2, 6-2, in the championship match.

Rhodes and Walden defeated fourth-seeded Robbie Wilkins and Barry Martin of University, 6-3, 7-5, in a semifinal. Weinstein and Baudenbacher overcame Sea Kings Rodolfo Prietto and Paul Fruchbom, 6-2, 7-6, the third-seeded team.

In the Century League:

Devera wins--Villa Park’s Jason Devera won his second singles title in four years, beating Eric Lin of Canyon, Lance Stern of Foothill and Josh O’Neill of Orange in the round-robin final. Devera beat Lin, 5-7, 6-3, 6-1. Lin, who won the title as a freshman and last year as a junior, played despite an injured arm that limited him to serving underhanded.

In the South Coast League:

France wins--El Toro junior Johnny France defeated Mission Viejo’s Bill Casas, 6-2, 6-2, to win the singles championship.

In the Garden Grove League:

Nguyen wins--Bach Nguyen of La Quinta beat Steve Ho of Garden Grove, 6-3, 6-1, in the singles final at Golden West College.